Lost Without You
by Miss Light Bright
Summary: After a horrible fight between Hikaru and Kaoru, Kaoru suddenly goes missing. He's been kidnapped and tortured. Will Hikaru find and save his little brother? No slash, no lemon. Just brotherly love.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey everyone! This is my first fanfic, so please have mercy on me! Anyways, please review, I like to get you opinions, and it will be my motivation. And yes, I know it's short, but I work better in short spurts, and this way, I'll update more often! ^_^ Thanks!**

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><p>Hikaru sat on the couch, reading. It had been a long day at Ouran and all he needed was some lazy time. Sighing heavily, he turned a page with a grimace on his face.<p>

"What are you doing?" a voice asked from behind him.

Hikaru's temples pulsed in a raging headache. He had no patience to deal with his younger twin. "Reading," he said flatly, not looking up. He read the same sentence over and over, not really catching what it said. He hated himself for being so short with Kaoru, his beloved twin, but he was just getting on his nerves lately. Hikaru wanted some space!

Kaoru paced around the couch and flopped down on the chair opposite from Hikaru. Still, Hikaru did not look up even though he could feel Kaoru's eyes searing into his skin.

"What's wrong?" Kaoru asked gently.

Kaoru's words only hit a nerve in Hikau's temper. He ground his teeth and his eyebrow ticked. "Nothing," he growled through his clamped teeth.

"I know that's not true," Kaoru replied. Hikaru looked up at his words. His brother's eyes were filled with gentle worry and his brows were knitted together in confusion. It pissed him off.

"Kaoru," he growled, "Why don't you just leave me the fuck alone for once?"

Kaoru's eyes widened in shock making Hikaru's heart skip with sorrow. Quickly recovering, his twin glared and stood. "Stop being an ass, Hikaru! I don't know what has you in such a sour mood, but you need to get over it!"

Hikaru flew to his feet in instant, overtaken with anger and annoyance and regret. Before he could stop himself he was yelling at Kaoru. "Dammit Kaoru! It's you! It's you! Why can't you leave me alone! Why can't you just give me some space! You just cling on me. Just because we're twins, doesn't mean we have to always have to be together! Just leave me alone!"

Hikaru registered the hurt cross Kaoru's eyes. He saw the pain and sorrow written over his little brother's face but he couldn't bring himself to apologize. Just standing there, glaring, he sucked in heavy breathes of anger.

He knew had been ignoring and neglecting Kaoru lately. He knew he had given him the cold shoulder without saying why. His little brother had endured it the best he could, and it killed Hikaru that he had hurt Kaoru. But at this moment, he wanted nothing more than to hurt the little brother he cared so much about.

Kaoru straightened up, not bothering to look him in the eye anymore. "I didn't know you felt that way. Sorry I got in your way." And he turned on his heel and rushed up the stairs two at a time. Hikaru watched him go feeling both triumphant and horribly, horribly cruel.

Collapsing back onto the couch, he didn't bother to pick up the book again, but instead he stared blankly at the wall. Suddenly, a disturbing feeling of dread washed over him. Nothing good was going to come out of this. But he pushed the thought aside. He was stubborn. He would not apologize tonight. He internally cursed himself.


	2. Chapter 2

Kaoru's head was raging with anger. How could Hikaru treat him this way? He had let him have his little pity party. He let him sulk all week. But blaming this on Kaoru was taking it too far. Looking down at his shaking hands, he ground his teeth together, seething.

He stepped into the bathroom, turned on the faucet, and splashed water over his soft, flawless skin, trying to clear his mind of evil thoughts against his brother. He switched off the water and ran a warm towel over his face and sighed into the fabric.

Dropping the towel limply until the counter, he stared into his reflection that was an exact replica of his brother. Sometimes he wished there was some sort of slight difference between their features; that way, Hikaru could stop blaming him of copying his older brother.

To be honest, he was sick of it! Kaoru was really not copying or clinging, at least, not intentionally. He just loved being with Hikaru. He is his best friend. What would he do without him?

He blinked into the mirror, slowly cooling down. Reaching up, he raked through his hair to set it right. Maybe he should go for a walk. It was still early so it wouldn't be dark. And then it would give Hikaru some time to settle down. His hand pause in his hair, and then slowly, he switched his part to the other side. He sighed, holding it there for a second. Sometimes Kaoru wondered who he would be without Hikaru. But he knew, without Hikaru, he would never be the same. But obviously, Hikaru thought otherwise.

He dropped his hair back into place and gave himself the best smile he could manage. Hikaru would get over it. He didn't mean those hurtful words.

So he turned and walked out of the bathroom. To his shock, Kaoru came face to face with Hikaru. His older brother looked up from his Ipod and stopped in his tracks. Taking out an ear bud, he raised an eyebrow. "What do you want?" he asked.

Kaoru frowned. "What are you talking about? I only just came out of the bathroom."

Hikaru smirked. "You just had that needy look on your face," he growled.

Scowling, Kaoru walked past him, bumping his shoulder hard into Hikaru's. "Leave me alone," he said and began descending the stairs.

"Don't get your panties in a bunch!" Hikaru called after him.

Kaoru turned and glared at his old brother and he returned the same look. Then, he turned and sauntered down the stairs. On second thought, he would take that walk.

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><p><strong>Sorry if there was any spelling errors. I didn't really check this time. But please please review! And I promise the next chapter will start to get more into the plot...<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

The setting sun between the clouds sparkled down on Kaoru, shining off his orange hair. In the fresh winter evening air, Kaoru was breathing better. Hikaru's words had stabbed him like a knife, but out here, he was feeling refreshed.

As he walked, he observed the thick snowflakes dancing from the sky. It was beautiful, really, watching his breath raise gently into a cloud. He breathed out another deep breath in amusement and raised his hands to catch some flakes with a laugh.

A sharp ringing floated up out of his pocket and Kaoru immediately stopped in his tracks. If it was Hikaru, he wasn't answering; he was still mad at him. He struggled to dig the phone out of his pocket, but when he finally retrieved it, he looked at the caller I.D. It was Tamaki.

A slight smile rose on his lips. Tamaki would definitely help him feel better with all his idiocy. He pressed TALK and pulled the phone to his ear. "Hey Tamaki," he said.

"Kaoru! Kaoru! What are you doing? Is Hikaru with you?" Tamaki asked swiftly.

Kaoru frowned to himself. "No Hikaru is busy. You'll have to call him separately." He didn't want to tell Tamaki that they were having a fight. "And I'm taking a walk, so I couldn't get him for you anyway…" He trailed off, not wanting to talk more about his brother.

But thankfully, Tamaki only shrugged it off. "That's okay. Anyways, I wanted to ask you if you wanted to come to my place tonight. I wanted to get everyone together to have game night of some sort."

"Commoner games?" Kaoru guessed.

"How did you know?" Tamaki squealed through the phone. "So are you coming?"

Kaoru laughed. "Sure. What time?"

"In about an hour or two," he said happily. "I think I'll even have the cooks make fancy tuna for, you know, Haruhi."

"That'll probably be the only reason she would come," Kaoru laughed into the phone. "Anyway, yeah, I'll come."

"Yay! See you soon!" Tamaki said quickly and hung up the phone right after.

Kaoru pocketed the phone with a smile. He had been right, Tamaki had helped him feel better. But he continued his walk anyway. It was a nice night. His footsteps crunched softly in the snow.

The chill of the air drove his hands into his pockets. He suddenly wished he had worn his jacket. But of course, he had been too infuriated to think about it. Whatever. His evening walk was fun regardless.

He walked and walked until he found his way out of the upper class housing and into the downtown area. He walked past the shops, glancing at decorated window displays. Suddenly he caught sight of Hikaru in the corner of his eye. He stopped in surprise but then realized that he had only seen his reflection in the window. He scowled at himself. Maybe it was time for a change in appearance.

"Hey!" someone called from behind him. He turned in surprise. A woman stood across the street, her black hair covered in white flakes. "Hey! Could you help me?" She called, waving to him.

Kaoru looked around; no one else was nearby, so he supposed he could help with whatever. He crossed the empty street just as the street light switched on in the disappearing daylight. He came to a stop a few feet away from the woman.

"What do you need help with?" Kaoru asked cautiously.

She smiled sweetly and batted her thick eyelashes, calming his nerves. "I just can't get my car started," she said gesturing to the car a little down the road.

Running a hand through his hair, he said, "I don't know much about cars."

"Well could you at least help me find my keys? I dropped them somewhere in the snow in my frustration." She sounded so sad and desperate that Kaoru couldn't say no.

"Sure," he replied with a nod.

The woman pointed down the road. "I dropped them around my car over there."

Kaoru nodded once again and began walking purposely through the thickening snow. It shouldn't be too hard since the snow looked hardly broken in this area. He took his phone out and shined the light into the glittering snow, walking one step at a time. He stopped beside the alley by her car seeing glittering silver. 'That was fast,' he thought.

Just as he reached down, he felt something cold and hard press against his head. He froze instantly, confused.

"Stand," the girl demanded, her sweetness gone. Kaoru straightened slowly, raising his hands in the air.

"Drop the phone." He uncurled his fingers, letting the phone plop soundlessly deep inside the snow.

"Now into the alley," she snapped. Taking measured steps, he made his way into the darkened alley. He was greeted by other voices.

"You found us a good one," a deep voice chuckled.

The woman laughed. "And he was the easiest to trick all month."

Two men stepped forward, staring down at him. Kaoru took in a shaky breath, his heart hammering in his ears. He glanced slightly behind him. The woman still had her gun turned on him.

"There's no use running kid," she said. "I have no problem shooting you."

Kaoru turned back and stared down at the ground. He wondered what would happen now. Would he have a chance to escape?

"Look, he's scared," the other man chuckled.

It was true. He was shaking, but not of the cold. He wished he had stayed home. He wished he had just made up with Hikaru. 'I'm sorry, Hikaru,' his mind whispered. And then he was struck in the back of the head, and everything went black.

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><p><strong>ooo! Nice cliffhanger right? At least, I hope it is. Now don't forget to tell me your thoughts on how it is going so far! Feedback always helps! Thank you much!<strong>


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello, thanks for reading! I'm surprised at how many people like this story so far. I know this chapter is short and stuff, but it is necessary. So enjoy, review, and I will get started on the next part.**

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><p>Hikaru sat, sprawled across the huge comfy chair he sat in every time he visited Tamaki. He held his arms behind his head and stared at the ceiling. Shifting slightly, he tried to get comfy but his efforts were futile. All he could think about was Kaoru… and it was pissing him off again.<p>

Kaoru was taking a walk, he knew. He did that every time he was upset; sometimes Hikaru had walked with him, trying to work through his problems with him. But this time, when the front door had slammed shut, Hikaru couldn't help but hate himself a little. Kaoru had gone on his walk every single day of this week and it was all because of Hikaru.

Hikaru sighed, shutting his eyes. He didn't even know what bugging him this week. Why did he have to take it out on Kaoru, the one person that understood him more than any other person?

"Tamaki!" a high pitched voice squealed. Hikaru opened one eye to see Honey attack Tamaki with a hug while Mori trailed into the room silently.

"Are we the first ones here?" Honey asked, pulling out of the hug.

"No, Hikaru came almost immediately after I called him," Tamaki said happily, pointing over his shoulder at him.

Hikaru smiled and straightened up as all three came to sit down in the circle of chairs.

"Where's Kaoru?" Honey asked innocently, sitting down in a chair nearest to the cake on the coffee table.

Hikaru winced; Kaoru was going to be so mad at him later. He had left the house for Tamaki's without his twin, even though he knew that Kaoru was coming too. Hikaru just didn't want to be in the same car as Kaoru, let alone in a mansion where everything reminded him of Kaoru. So he had left immediately and surprised Tamaki by showing up early alone.

Tamaki answered for him, "Kaoru's on a walk. So he's coming later."

Honey nodded, not really paying attention anymore as he stared at the cake before him. He was ready to dive in when Mori put a hand on the small boy's shoulder. "Wait," was all Mori said.

Soon, Kyoya and Haruhi had both arrived. While the others were eating and teasing Haruhi, Hikaru surreptitiously checked his phone. No new messages, no new calls. Damn, Kaoru must be pretty mad not to send him a single message.

He flipped open his phone and scrolled down his contact list to his little brother's name, clicked on it and stared. He really wanted to know what time he was showing up or where he was even, but he didn't want to break to his pride to ask.

He flipped it shut again. No, he would wait for Kaoru to talk to him first. Hikaru rarely apologized; Kaoru usually came around before it went that far. So he slid his phone back into his pocket.

Looking up, Hikaru saw Tamaki watching him. He smiled. "Worried about Kaoru?"

Hikaru shook his head. "No, just wondering when he was going to decide to show up," he said, cursing himself when he heard his voice betraying his growing worry.

"Well," Tamaki said, "he should be here within the next hour. I told him to come in an hour or two, and it's been an hour already so…"

"Yeah," Hikaru said, cutting Tamaki off, "I know he'll be here. I told you, I'm not worried." He glanced over at the other Host Club members, thankful that none of the others were listening. "I'm not worried," he repeated.


	5. Chapter 5

Hikaru tapped his foot on the floor to keep his nerves down. The clock was tick, tick, ticking away and Kaoru still hasn't shown up. Looking at his cell phone for the umpteenth time, the digits switched to a glaring 8 PM. No calls, no messages. Kaoru was late.

He scratched the back of his head, putting the phone back into his pocket. Kaoru definitely was going to get Hikaru's wrath later. His foot tapped faster.

Hikaru looked down at the Host Club from his perch on the chair. They were sitting in a circle playing Candy Land, laughing as the game progressed. Hikaru couldn't bring himself to enjoy the game; his mind kept wandering back to Kaoru. What was he doing?

"Are you alright?" Haruhi asked, breaking his thoughts.

Hikaru stopped chewing his lip and lied, "Yeah, fine."

Haruhi frowned at him. The rest of the Host Club was watching him in silence. She went on to ask, "Did you try calling Kaoru? He should be here by now."

Tamaki nodded. "Yeah, call him. I'm starting to get a little worried."

"Okay. But I'll only call because you guys are so worried. I'm sure he's fine," Hikaru said casually. But his nerves were agitated without his brother. Kaoru had never been mad for this long.

He picked his phone out of his pocket once again and dialed his little brother's number. It rang and rang and rang. "Hey, this is Kaoru! I can't get to the phone—" Hikaru snapped his phone shut at the answering machine.

"He didn't answer," he said quietly. He stared at his phone blankly.

Tamaki stood and came to stand next to him. "Try texting him," he said.

Hikaru nodded, desperate to try anything. He wrote, 'Are you mad? Where are you?' He sent the text and stared once again at his phone, numbly waiting. One, two, three, four minutes ticked by in silence. Hikaru stood up abruptly, startling everyone, and threw his phone on the ground with roar.

"He can't be that at me right? Right?" he asked, his eyes darting from person to person.

"Wait, he's mad at you?" Tamaki asked. When Hikaru nodded, Tamaki turned to the others. "Text Kaoru. I'll try calling him." The minutes dragged on as Hikaru watched in vain as his club mates tried to get ahold of Kaoru.

"Screw this, I'm going to look for him," Hikaru snapped. He grabbed his phone from the floor.

"We'll come with you," Haruhi said, following him to the door.

Hikaru turned on her, about to refuse their help, but stopped. He breathed in to let his temper cool slightly before growling, "Fine," through clenched teeth. "But I'm going ahead. Let's meet at my place."

And he was out the door before he got a reply. The car ride was torturous; every second that went by, made him more and more afraid. He just wanted to know if Kaoru was safe.

Finally, they pulled up in front of his family's estate. He was out the door before it even came to a full stop. Sprinting up the stairs, he went to their room first. "Kaoru?" he called. The room was empty. He backed out and went to the bathroom next door. "Kaoru?" No one.

He turned and ran into the hall, practically taking out a maid. "Hey! Have you seen Kaoru?" Hikaru asked quickly, not even thinking of apologizing.

The maid shook her head. "Would you like me to alert the other maids?"

"Yes, yes. And let me know if anyone knows where he is." And Hikaru ran off. Running from room to room, he called Kaoru's name louder and more desperately. Where was he?

He heard the front door slam shut and he raced to the door, hoping for Kaoru. But when he realized it was the host club, his heart dropped into despair. Hikaru set his lips in a hard line and descended the stairs. "I can't find him anywhere," Hikaru moaned, tears threatening his eyes.

Kyoya stepped forward to meet Hikaru at the foot of the stairs. He put a hand on the young boy's shoulder and looked him right in the eye and said, "Think. Is there anywhere Kaoru would have gone at this time? Anyone he could have gone to see?"

Then he remembered, "He took a walk!" He backed away from the club, towards the door. He pointed at Mori and Honey. "You two check the entire house. The rest of you, come with me!"

And he sprinted out the door with a feeling of dread. He had to find his little brother at all costs. What good would he be if he couldn't even do that?

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><p><strong>Next chapter will have Kaoru, I promise! Please review! <strong>


	6. Chapter 6

**YAY! Another chapter up today! Enjoy, I think you'll like it. )**

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><p>"Ugh," Kaoru groaned, shifting his arms against the cold concrete. The back of his head throbbed, pulsing with his heartbeat. He pulled himself up onto his hands and knees, taking a deep breath, and tried to calm his quaking hands.<p>

What happened? There was girl, she needed help, she had a gun, and then… His eyes widened as he noticed the thick chains locked around his wrists. Sitting back on his knees, he lifted he hands. The chains clanked together as he moved.

Then he looked up. He sat in shock, staring at his surroundings. It was a long, concrete hallway; chains were hooked in intervals on the wall, and at each sat a kid about his age. Some looked at him with hollow eyes, practically dead. Others were staring blankly at the wall.

"What the hell is this place?" he whispered to himself.

"We're in Hell, you know." Kaoru turned his head to the voice on his left. A girl sat several feet away from him; her hair was crusty and dirty, her clothes were grungy and bloody.

"Hell? What do you mean Hell?" Kaoru asked with panic in his voice. "Where are we?"

The girl just laughed and turned away, curling in on herself.

"Don't mind her," a voice said to his right. He glanced over. This girl was cleaner, still dirty, but cleaner. She smiled sadly. "She's just gone a little crazy since she's been here."

"And where is here?" Kaoru managed to ask through his shaking fear and confusion.

She shrugged. "All I know is that we've all been kidnapped. All of these kids," she said gesturing to the kids who were clearly not listening. Kaoru looked back at the girl. She was looking at him with dull eyes. "Arisa," she whispered after a minute, pointing to herself.

Kaoru frowned at her; this was hardly a time for introductions. He wanted to know what was going on. Seeing his look, she sighed and stared down at her feet. "Look kid," she said barely audible. "There are only three things that can happen to you here." She turned her gray eyes on him again. "Die, give up, or stay strong. If you give up, you'll end up like her." She nodded to the girl on his left. "Or you could be like me. Don't believe what they tell you. Don't give them the satisfaction of crying out in pain. Just live." Her eyes were flashed in anger.

Kaoru didn't know what to say. He didn't know what was going on. What was going to happen to him? He closed his eyes, willing this to be a dream.

A jingle of a lock caused Kaoru snap open his eyes to stare at the door on the far end of the hallway. Everyone was looking, not just him. Some of the kids shook and cowered in fear.

"Who's it going to be this time?" someone whispered into the silence.

"I don't know!" cried another.

"It's going to be him," Arisa said loudly, hushing the other children as she pointed at Kaoru. "He's the newest. They have to break him in."

'Break me in?' Kaoru thought, his eyes darting around the room. The others were relaxing noticeably, believing Arisa's words.

Arisa leaned towards him. "Stay strong," she whispered softly, and then leaned back quickly as the door swung open.

A man paced inside the room. Every kid in the room besides Kaoru dropped their heads, avoiding eye contact. The man's footsteps echoed down the hall until he stopped in front of Kaoru. Looking up, Kaoru realized that this was one of the men that had been in the alleyway.

"Time for you to come with me," He growled with a twisted smile.


	7. Chapter 7

Kaoru screamed in agony as the man scraped a hot fire poker across his back. He gripped the sides of the metal table where his arms were restrained and squeezed his watery eyes shut.

The man pulled the poker aside and set in the fire once again, heating it to a fiery red. Then he moved it back, drawing a line along the spinal cord, laughing as the hot poker sizzled Kaoru's skin. Kaoru cried out again, tears streaming from his face. "Stop, please stop," he whimpered and begged.

The man's sharp laugh made Kaoru flinch. "Well then your mark wouldn't be finished. We can't have that, can we?"

Kaoru sobbed into the table. "Why?" he cried.

"Why?" the man asked. He rounded the table, stopped, and crouched down to Kaoru's eye level. "Let me ask you a question. Did your family care about you?"

Kaoru frowned. "Of course they did," he spat at the man.

He shook his head with another laugh. "Now really think about. Your parents," he prompted.

Kaoru closed his eyes, turning away, not wanting to think about it. But against his will, his mind wandered into the question. His parents weren't ever around. Throughout his childhood they had gone on long trips away. Kaoru wondered if they noticed that he was missing.

No! What was he doing? He shook his head and then glared at the man. "They care," he growled.

"What about any siblings?" the man asked with a grin.

"Hikaru," Kaoru whispered involuntarily. He winced as he watched the man pick up the poker again.

"Hikaru, huh? A brother?" the man said. He waved the hot poker inches away from Kaoru's face. "Well I bet that Hikaru doesn't even know you are gone."

Kaoru's heart skipped a beat. "No it's not true, it's not—" Kaoru interrupting himself with a scream as the poker cut into his skin.

"Just remember that your family did this to you. In fact, no one cares about you," the man bellowed over Kaoru's screams. Kaoru moaned as the poker was lifted.

"You have no friends, no family. They sent you here because no one gives a shit about your life."

"No," Kaoru gasped through his pain. Hikaru's face flashed in his mind. "They would never do that to me!" His eyes twitched to where the man stood; he flamed the poker and then faced Kaoru, his face masked in anger.

"Wrong answer." And the poker jabbed into his back, with more force this time. Kaoru struggled against the chains. He wanted to die. Right now. Take away the pain.

"Kill me already," were the words that passed through his quivering lips.

"Oh, no, I'm not going to kill you. We brought you here for a reason and I fully intend to get you ready for service." The man etched another line across the boy's skin, smiling with pleasure. "Just be a good little boy and do what we say."

Kaoru groaned and whipped his body away from the pain, but he couldn't get away. A sob burst from with the word, "Hikaru!" It echoed against the concrete walls.

"Hikaru isn't here. He abandoned you!"

"No, no he didn't!"

"They all did! They aren't looking for you! You're just a little piece of shit."

"No…" Kaoru sobbed. "No…"

"Yes," was all the man said. And then he drove another line into Kaoru's back.

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><p><strong>Oh no! Poor Kaoru! Please Review! ^_^<strong>


	8. Chapter 8

****Hey Everyone! I am so surprised at how popular this story got! Thank you everyone who reviewed, favorited, and added to their alerts! I really enjoyed the comments. ^_^ Once again, I apologize at the shortness of each chapter, but some reason, I feel more motivated this way since I am also writing 3 stories on Fiction Press. Any who, please enjoy!

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><p>Hikaru felt a jolt of fear race from his stomach up into his spine as he trudged through the thick snow. Sucking in a stuttering breath, he stared wildly around the street, and stopped in his tracks. Haruhi bumped into him from behind, surprised at his sudden stop.<p>

"What is it Hikaru?" Haruhi asked quietly. Hikaru turned to her. Her face was ridden with worry and quite pale.

"Something is really wrong," Hikaru breathed.

Haruhi stared into his eyes, her chocolate brown orbs searching his orange. "What do you mean?" she asked after a moment.

Hikaru rubbed his forehead in frustration and peered across the street and Tamaki and Kyoya's silhouettes. "I don't know," he whined. "I just have a bad feeling about this. I think Kaoru is in more trouble than we think." He smiled meekly, hoping she would oppose his fears. But she did not.

Nodding, she said, "We'll find him."

Hikaru looked away, feeling the hot pressure against his eyes. He refused to cry; he hadn't yet, and he planned on keeping it that way…

Suddenly, Tamaki raced across the street and came to a stop before them. They stood under a low-lighted lamp post which illuminated the quiet shopping area. The snow was still falling in blankets, ruining any clues to finding Kaoru. All Hikaru had to go on, was past experiences of walking with him. But so far, there was no luck.

Tamaki looked up at Hikaru with tears in his eyes. "We didn't find anything on our side. Is there is another way he could have gone?"

"I don't know!" Hikaru cried, feeling the first tear slip from the corner of his eye. "Dammit."

Tamaki laid a hand on Hikaru's shoulder, comforting him silently. There were no words to make this situation okay.

Kyoya crossed the street slowly and then pulled himself up onto the frosty curb, his eyebrows knit in a thoughtful frown. "I believe," he stated, "this would be a good time to inform my private police force."

Hikaru nodded his assent, staring at the ground. Haruhi spoke up next to him, "maybe we should alert the regular police too."

Kyoya shook his head. "They only start looking for a missing person after 48 hours."

"48 hours!" Hikaru cried. He glared at nothing, his hands trembling in tight fists. "My baby brother could be dead by then."

Kyoya nodded. "My point exactly." Haruhi shot Kyoya a glare, seeing Hikaru's face pale noticeably.

Tamaki gave Kyoya a light push. "You call your police, Kyoya. Hikaru, maybe you should call your parents."

Hikaru froze for a second. Could it be possible that he had gone to stay with his parents? But Hikaru couldn't see why. They never paid that much attention to either of them. Did they even care, Hikaru wondered for not the first time.

But he took out his phone in hope. First he tried his dad. He held the phone to his ear as it rang, his eyes glancing at Kyoya who was on his phone. At the last ring, the call went through. But Hikaru was less than happy at his father's words. "Hikaru, I'm busy. I told you not to call me while I'm on business."

"But Dad, it's important! Kaoru—"

"I'm busy," he interrupted. "Call me later."

The phone went to dial tone and Hikaru was left staring at his phone in disbelief. How could his father be so cruel? Another tear escaped his eye but he brushed it aside as quickly as it came.

Setting his lips in determination, he scrolled down the contact list to his mother. It rang once and she picked up immediately.

"Hey sweetie," she cooed into the phone. Hikaru grimaced at her fake enthusiasm. "You called at the right time. I'm between showings."

"Mom is Kaoru with you or Dad?" he asked in a rush, gripping the phone in anticipation.

"No. Why would he be?"

Hikaru's heart sank. "Dammit," he growled beneath his breath. The tears couldn't be held back any longer. "Mom," he sobbed into the phone. Tamaki and Haruhi were staring at him in bewilderment. He turned his ashamed face away. "Mom, Kaoru is missing."

There was a gasp on the other side of the phone. "Kaoru is missing?" she repeated, her voice constricted.

Hikaru let out another soft sob. "I can't find him."

There was a long pause of silence where Hikaru could only hear himself breathe and Kyoya's talking. Finally his mother sighed heavily. "Hikaru, I'm taking the first flight back. We're going to find my baby boy." Hikaru was genuinely surprised.

"You're coming back?"

"Of course!" his mother cried into the phone. "I'm going to cancel all of my appointments right now and I'll be there as fast as I can. Did you call the police?"

"Kyoya is calling right now," Hikaru said. His tears had stopped in his shock.

"Okay, baby, stay right there. Don't do anything stupid. I love you," she whispered into the phone before hanging up.

Hikaru stood frozen with his phone at his ear; trying to remember the last time anyone other than Kaoru had said they loved him.


	9. Chapter 9

**YAY! Enjoy the chapter, I think you'll like it! Review if you could!**

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><p>Kaoru cried out wretchedly as he was dragged down a hallway by the chains on his wrists. His back burned with pain; he could still feel the fire. He sobbed and dropped onto his knees as another wave of pain brought sickness into his throat.<p>

The man stopped, glaring down at the red-headed boy as he retched violently onto the cold concrete. "You little shit," the man growled, dropping Kaoru's chains. Kaoru collapsed face forward into his own mess, but he didn't move. "Who do you think has to clean this up?" he spat. He kicked fiercely into Kaoru's gut; Kaoru gasped for air as the pain consumed him.

"Now get up." He grabbed at Kaoru's chains once again yanked Kaoru unwillingly to his feet. Kaoru's knees felt like jelly as he stood.

The man took off in his long strides, jerking Kaoru behind him; Kaoru cringed as one of the chains peeled at his skin on his left wrist, releasing the flow of blood. He sobbed, tears flooding his eyes, keeping him from seeing properly. He felt the world dance around him as the brutal headache gnawed at his temples.

Before Kaoru could topple over and faint, they arrived at the old iron door that he knew so well. The man threw it open and pushed Kaoru inside. He stumbled at the push, only keeping his balance from the man's grip on his chains.

Wincing, Kaoru stared around at the kids in the long room. Their eyes were wide in fear as they stared at him; he didn't blame them; he was covered in blood.

Then their eyes flashed up to the man and they all ducked their heads, remaining silent. Many shivered and quivered in their obvious fear.

Behind him, the man shoved Kaoru's back. He let out an agonizing scream from the touch to his blistering wounds; his vision blackened for a split second. But he was not spared the pain; he was thrown back into painful consciousness. He willed himself to faint, to die even, anything to rid himself of this nightmare.

They walked down the line of kids till they came to the middle, where Kaoru's place was, next to Arisa. Her pale green eyes flashed to his orange orbs, full of worry. Her lips trembled as she glanced at Kaoru's badly bleeding hand.

The man forced Kaoru to his knees, but he went willingly since he legs were ready to give out anyway. Quickly, the man wrapped the chains back onto the wall, clicking the lock shut ensuring no escape.

Kaoru collapsed lightly against the wall, careful not to scrape against his back, and positioned the chain so it would not dig into his wrist any longer. As the man leaned over him, adjusting the chains one last time, Kaoru held his breath; he couldn't handle the stench of him anymore.

He drew his face to his right, squinting into the eyes of Arisa. She reached and he reached out, their hands meeting in silent comfort but then drew away as the man stepped back. The room was in deafening silence as the man's footsteps echoed slowly down the hall to the door.

Kaoru hung his head in despair, his eyelids low. His head lulled to the side as he glanced over at Arisa once again. Kaoru winced as his whole body ached.

"Are you okay?" Arisa asked quietly. Her eyes darted to the door, where the man was rummaging in something in a corner.

Kaoru glared. "Do you think I'm okay?" he spat. "I feel like my body is on fire."

"You'll be okay. We all got used to it," she urged.

Kaoru shook his head in protest, his head still spinning. "Why didn't he kill me? He didn't kill me," he muttered.

Arisa frowned sympathetically. "They don't kill anyone here," she whispered. "That's the only comfort any of us have. At least, they don't kill on purpose. Some just die because they can't take it."

Suddenly the man froze by the door. The children closest cowered. He turned his cold eyes on Arisa; shit, he had heard her.

He stomped his way over the two of them, a sadistic smile forming on his face. "What was that, girl?" he asked cruelly.

Her eyes widened, fear dancing in her eyes for the first time. She shook her head, lowering her eyes.

He reached forward with his greasy fingers, lifting her chin. Her jaw jumped in anger. "What did you say?" he asked sternly.

She shook her head, releasing herself from his grip, and glared. "I said nothing," she growled.

His brows dropped further as he glared. Looking away, his gaze snapped to Kaoru. "Maybe I can make your friend talk for you instead." Arisa stared in horror as he approached Kaoru slowly, producing a knife slowly from his pocket. His grin grew as he forced Kaoru's head forward to reveal his bloody back. Kaoru winced at the sudden movement.

He leaned down, tilting the knife so that it glittered against the dim lighting, ready to cut into the young boy's skin. "Wait!" Arisa cried, unable to bear suffering on her behalf. "I'll tell you," she said much quieter.

He stepped back, releasing Kaoru, who stared over at the girl. He hoped she wouldn't get in too much trouble. "Well, what is it?" the man snapped.

She dropped her eyes and said, "I was telling him… I was telling him that no one gets killed here."

Kaoru's eyes darted to the man's face. Surely something so small wouldn't enrage the man… But he was wrong. The man's jaw was set, his eyes cold and punishing. "So," he breathed, "you're saying that we are going soft on you?"

"No, no!" she cried, her body shaking.

Kaoru spoke up, panic seeping through his veins. "She really didn't mean anything by it!"

He only grinned down at the two teenagers before saying, "Well, I'm glad you pointed out this flaw in our system." He turned to the rest of the room, bellowing, "It seems that I have to strike a little fear into you little shits!"

And he turned on his heel, heading for Kaoru. In his chest, Kaoru's heart jumped double time. God no, please! He squeezed his eyes shut, but then felt a breeze pass him.

He opened his eyes just in time to see the man bend down upon the girl on his left. Kaoru froze in sheer shock as he pulled the girl up by her tangled hair. In response, she began to laugh manically.

And, in one quick flick, the man slit her throat, cutting off her laughs in a gurgle of blood. Thick blood, splattered across the floor, spraying across Kaoru as the other children began to scream. Kaoru couldn't breathe, couldn't think as he held up a hand covered in fresh, warm blood.

"I'm going to be sick,' he thought before disappearing into a world of black.


	10. Chapter 10

**Sorry it took so long for this chapter, I was working on my other two stories on Fiction Press. (Link to my Fiction Press is on my profile if you want to read those) Also, yes, this chapter is short. I'm sorry. But I promise to make the next chapter longer. **

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><p>They had searched hours after Kaoru had gone missing, but still, they had no luck. Hikaru huffed into his freezing hands, trying to warm his dead fingers. Glancing at the others, he knew they were just as cold and just as tired. He rubbed his hands together, shivering.<p>

His heart was just as frozen as his hands. Without Kaoru, he felt dead inside or like he was ripped in two. 'Who was he without Kaoru?' his mind asked himself.

He turned his glazed eyes on Kyoya. "What time is it?" he asked lifelessly.

"Midnight," Kyoya replied just as stoic.

Hikaru scowled. He supposed he should head back to the mansion, wait for his mom, and let Kyoya's police do their job. The thought of sitting and waiting made Hikaru cringe, but he knew it had to be done. There was no hope in finding anything in this heap of snow.

Hikaru gazed at Kyoya and Tamaki; a burst of gratefulness warmed his chest, glad they had stayed as long as they did. Haruhi had gone home a while ago; she needed to help her dad with something or other… Hikaru wasn't listening at the time. Honey and Takashi had taken off after they had found nothing in the mansion. They promised they would help again tomorrow during the daylight hours.

But anger boiled in Hikaru's veins, canceling out all attempts at staying calm and emotionless. Crying out, he turned and threw a fierce punch at the brick wall of the barber shop. Tamaki cried out to the young host club member, flying to his side.

"Did you hurt yourself?" Tamaki cried, checking Hikaru's hand.

Hikaru pulled his hand aside, shaking it at his side, waiting for the pain to numb. "I'm fine," he growled.

"You're lucky you didn't break it," Kyoya called from a few feet away.

"Yeah, yeah," Hikaru grumbled. He shoved the pulsing hand into his pocket and used his other hand to move his damp orange hair out of his eyes.

"I think we should go back now," Hikaru mumbled, looking down into the snow, tracing circles with his foot.

Kyoya nodded. "We'll find him soon enough. My police are the most efficient there is."

Hikaru nodded numbly as Tamaki laid a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Let me go pick up your mother," Tamaki said. "You go get some rest."

Hikaru raised his head and smiled sadly. "Thanks guys. I don't know what I would do without friends like you."

Tamaki gaped and Kyoya regarded the red head with interest. Hikaru wasn't the type to say thank you, let alone tell them that they were great friends.

Quickly, Tamaki pulled Hikaru into a tight hug. And to his surprise, Hikaru found himself hugging back with force. It was comforting in its own small way.

Later, back at the mansion, Hikaru pulled on his pajamas for the evening. For some odd reason, he found himself feeling guilty for sleeping while Kaoru was missing. He scratched his trembling arm before making the choice he had been debating about for the last five minutes.

He flung across his and Kaoru's shared room and rolled into Kaoru's bed, breathing in his scent. He had thought snuggling into his baby brother's bed would have consoled him, but instead he found tears pouring from his eyes as he hugged Kaoru's pillow.

"Kaoru," he whispered in despair. His heart thudded unevenly in chest. "Kaoru."


	11. Chapter 11

**Okay, I know I promised a longer chapter, but that will be the next one. I made this chapter because I noticed a little confusion. So this will clear things up a bit. YAY!**

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><p>Kento grinned in glee as he looked all of the blood he had drained from the girl. And to further his happiness, the boy called Kaoru had passed out, covered in the unnamed girl's blood. He glanced at the girl next to him. Her name was… Arisa? She was glaring but was trembling.<p>

When their eyes met, she looked away to Kaoru as tears escaped from her eyes. Kento stepped forwarded and squatted down in front of her. "See what happens when you speak out like that?" he asked, gesturing to the drained girl.

She glanced up at him with glazed eyes, her glare dying. He chuckled. "If you do anything like that again," he taunted, "I will slit this boy's neck next. Do you want that?"

Arisa glanced down with her eyes darting to Kaoru, whimpering, before shaking her head. "No," she whispered almost inaudibly.

"So you'll do whatever I say then?"

She kept her down and said, "Yes… I will."

"Good," Kento said happily and patted the girl on the arm with his bloody hand. She cringed.

Kento stood and walked over to the dead girl. He glanced around at the other children. They were stooped into their usual cowering stance, but he could tell that this little incident had knocked any rebellion out of the kids. 'Fantastic,' he thought genuinely pleased. 'Our clients will be pleased with this fresh batch.'

He turned away and reached down to pick up the dead girl. Blood trickled off her cold skin into the pool below. Kento debated whether to clean it up today, but he figured the kids could learn from it. So he heaved the dead girl over his shoulder and made his way out of the blood bathed room.

Outside of the holding cell, he made his way to a backroom which he shared with Hiro and Tezuka. He dropped the dead body onto the floor outside the room with a sickening crunch and stepped inside.

Tezuka was the first to look up, taking in his bloody appearance. She sighed. "Kento, you killed one of them, really?"

Kento shrugged. "It was just that really crazy girl. She had little use anyway."

Tezuka glared, working her jaw. "Crazy or not, she would have worked for some of our clients with… a fetish."

Hiro laughed from where he sat. "How did you kill her?"

"Knifed her, right in the neck," he stated proudly. "And, Tezuka, you don't have to worry, because this little kill was worth it. The other kids are absolutely terrified. They'll do anything we say!"

"So… we have some that can immediately start taking clients?" Tezuka asked slowly.

Kento nodded with a grin. "The best part is that I broke the little Arisa bitch. She's finally ready for service. But I suggest we send her out on jobs rather than prostitution. She would be too resistant, I think."

Tezuka nodded, sitting down on a desk and crossed her legs. "So how many of them are ready?"

Kento tapped a finger to his lips. "I would say about all of them. We just have to place them."

"What about the new kid we got less than a few hours ago?" Hiro piped up from his corner. He leaned his head against his arm with a bored expression.

"I'm sure we can find something suitable for the little bastard," Kento growled, a twinkle in his eye.

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><p><strong>Oh, and don't just assume that Kaoru and Arisa will be sent into prostitution. There is still what Kento to referred to as "jobs." But I'm not telling! BWAHAHA! (Me and my sadistic mind. lol)<strong>


	12. Chapter 12

**Yay! A slightly longer chapter! Poor Kao... I also wanted to say, I love everyone who reads/comments. I never expected this story to be as popular as it is, but it is all because YOU! lol I hope that you continue to comment, pointing out things you like or mistakes I've made. I appreciate it all! Hurray!**

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><p>Hikaru glared down at Kaoru from where he stood at the top of the stairs; his eyes blazed with hate and his fists were balled into strong fists.<p>

Kaoru trembled at the bottom step, tears streaming from his eyes. He sobbed loudly as he cried out, "Hikaru, I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" He didn't know exactly what he did to make his older brother this mad, but he knew that forgiveness would not be easy.

Hikaru's eyes tightened in his glower. "What do you have to be sorry about?" Hikaru asked; his voice echoed as if he was far in the distance.

Kaoru's eyes widened in confusion; his trembling grew. "I-I-I…" he stuttered, not knowing what to say.

Slowly, Kaoru watched as his twin's lips slid into a cruel grin. "Don't you know?" he asked in a low voice.

"Know what?" Pain fizzled from Kaoru's back and wrist. He wondered vaguely why.

Kaoru winced as Hikaru began laughing. It was awful, not sounding like Hikaru at all. His twin continued laughing manically, his eyes darting wildly.

"Know what!" Kaoru cried over Hikaru's laughing. Kaoru's fingers curled into small fists as he stared intently at his brother.

Hikaru's face darkened, his smiled disappeared, and his face turned into one of disgust. "That I hate you," he said in barely a whisper. It crashed through Kaoru like freight train.

"You don't mean that," Kaoru said evenly, trying to keep ahold of his sanity. "The real Hikaru would never say that!" He flung an arm over his eyes, shielding his tears.

"But I am the real Hikaru," his voice whispered in his ear.

Kaoru cried out in surprise and jumped away at the sudden appearance of Hikaru at his side. He backed away at the smiling imposter, looking desperately for a way out. It was either up the stairs or run past Hikaru. He chose the stairs. And with all of his desperation, he pushed himself up the flight, only to come face to face with Hikaru at the top.

Kaoru inhaled unevenly, looking at the revulsion reflecting in Hikaru's eyes. He dropped to his knees, covering his ears. No, he wouldn't believe anything this fake Hikaru told him.

Hikaru crouched down in front of Kaoru, forcing him to look into those familiar eyes. But this time, he found no comfort, no warmth. Terror clutched at his chest. What if Hikaru really did hate him?

"Kaoru," Hikaru breathed. Kaoru tensed at his name but was unable to look away. "I'm glad you're gone."

And then Kaoru was thrown back into reality. His eyes flew open with a gasping breath; he tried to calm down, but his heart still hammered. The pain of it was almost equivalent of his searing back.

He was lying on the hard ground, his face in dried blood. The room reeked of death and sweat. And, instantly after awakening, Kaoru felt the pang of hunger and the pressure of his bladder. "Oh God," he groaned, picking himself out of the fetal position and sat up slowly.

The dull lighting was harsh on his tired eyes; he blinked vigorously to focus. His wounded wrist throbbed as he pulled it into his lap, careful not to let the metal slip into the cut.

"Kaoru," Arisa whispered. Her voice was laced with relief. "You were out a long time. I was worried. And you were whimpering in your sleep. Are you okay?" she rushed to say.

Kaoru ignored her question and asked one of his own. "How long was I out?" He glanced at her.

She chewed her bottom lip nervously, not looking him directly in the eye. "You were out almost 24 hours sin-since…" Arisa faltered, gazing at the blood caked on the floor. She smiled weakly and changed the subject. "I saved you half of my bread. You missed dinner." She held out half of a small dinner roll. Her chains clinked as she moved.

Kaoru took it gratefully, ripping it into smaller, more manageable pieces. "Thanks," he said quietly. He popped a piece into his mouth as he observed the room.

The teens sat quietly, glancing nervously at each other. Some whispered softly to one another. Kaoru noticed one boy with a wet stain on his pants. He hoped that wouldn't happen to him.

He chewed another piece; the bread tasted bland as it stuck to his dry tongue. His eyes followed the row of teens until it came upon several empty chains. Kaoru knew there had been kids there yesterday…

Turning to Arisa, he asked, "What happened to those kids?" He gestured with a flick of his head to the empty section by the wall.

Her dull eyes flicked up at him. Arisa was slumped against the wall as if defeated. "They were taken away like the usually do. What you experienced yesterday, the torture…" She gulped, blinking her eyes. "We experience that every day… We expect it every day but…" She stopped, tracing her fingers up and down her torn jeans. She lowered her voice, "Those kids didn't come back."

Kaoru's heart thumped. "What?"

She frowned, tilting her head. "They've taken six so far. All at once." Her grey eyes were full of fear.

Kaoru looked down at his shaking hands, clutching the last of the bread. This place was just getting worse and worse. Kaoru immediately thought of Hikaru. He wondered if Hikaru was looking for him at this exact moment. A flicker of doubt built itself in the back of his mind.

"Promise me, Kaoru," Arisa said, breaking his thoughts. She reached out for him, scooting closer. He pushed himself closer, gathering her in his arms as she began to cry. "Promise me that you won't abandon me either," she sobbed into his shoulder.

Kaoru rested his chin on Arisa's head, smelling sweat. This girl was the only friend he had now even though they had only known each other for a short while. "I promise," he whispered, not knowing if he could keep the promise.

He took a deep breath as she cried. He didn't think any of them in this horrid place would ever get out alive, but he hoped with all his might that would get to see Hikaru one last time before he died.


	13. Chapter 13

**Oh, it's been longer than I would have liked since the last time I updated. Oh well. I've been busy with a huge college project. This chapter is in Arisa's P.O.V. but I think it will be the last O.C. P.O.V of the story. So if you are the type who doesn't like O.C.'s, I'm sorry! Anyway enjoy!**

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><p>Arisa felt snug and warm against Kaoru's embrace. She had made him promise to never leave her, but she knew, without a doubt, that she had made him promise something he couldn't keep. She had too many people come and go through this place.<p>

She sighed against the crook of his neck, glancing up at his face. His amber gaze was fixed blankly across the room, glazed over with defeat. Slowly, she pulled herself away.

Kaoru didn't even react, still staring. He had only been in this dreaded place for almost two days and already he looked awful. His orange hair was dirtied and dull. Blood caked across his shoulders, smeared across his face and clothes. The fabrics that clung to his frame were torn and stained. She looked intently at the orange shirt he was wearing; it looked expensive despite the disheveled appearance.

Arisa scooted back against the wall and stared at his back. He was leaning slightly forward to not upset his wounds. To her surprise, she found herself running her fingers over her identical scars on her back. These were the scars that had started it all.

With Kaoru's shirt on, Arisa couldn't see the exact design, but she had seen it on the other kids. They had been branded with a pentagram with an "X" through it. What it meant, she didn't know.

Kaoru's eyes flashed suddenly to her own. His eyes were pained but yet, so vacant. Her heart went out to the boy. She took his hand in her own once again with a clang of the chains.

At the end of the hall, the door slammed open. Everyone's heads immediately snapped down to the floor. Arisa grimaced, refusing to give in to the habit. She stared directly into the man's eyes as he paced his way down the row towards her. He wore the same smile he always wore.

But she knew he wasn't here for her today or any of the other kids. They had already had their daily… she groped for the right word. Punishment, torture, brainwashing? No, he was here for Kaoru. He was the only one who hadn't gone yet today.

She squeezed his hand, and he looked up at her with frightened eyes. She silently wished him luck and strength. The torture from this day forth was worse than the physical scarring of the first day. Now it was just mental torture. Arisa supposed it was because they had to be kept in good shape for wherever they were going.

"Don't let him make you forget," Arisa whispered to her friend, dropping his hand.

A flicker of confusion danced across his gaze. The man stopped in front of Kaoru and the thick silence was broken by his raspy voice. "Oh, good, the brat is awake."

He quickly went to work at unchaining him. Kaoru held still, knowing it was futile to fight back. But Arisa hoped he would fight the mental blows…

She watched silently as Kaoru was led away, the door closing behind them with an echoing bang. The other teens began whispering immediately.

Arisa tuned them out, resting her head back against the concrete. She knew how it would go. First, Kaoru would begin to forget what his daily life was like. He wouldn't know the name of his school, his teachers, and his classmates. Then he would slowly forget what anyone had looked like.

After that, Kaoru would start to believe them when they said no one cared, that his life was worthless. He would have no recollection of his hobbies, his friends, and his distant relatives. And then, his family would fade into a distant memory. One he could feel was there but couldn't remember. And finally, he would merge into a new Kaoru. He would become someone that no one in his old life would recognize.

At least, that's what happened to Arisa. She had had a sister once. Or a brother? They had been close, going everywhere together, sharing secrets. Wait. No. They fought. A lot… she thought anyway. She struggled to picture her parents. Brown hair, blue eyes? Blonde with green eyes? Short or tall?

Her head began to hurt and she pushed away. She was Arisa. That's all she knew. No last name that she could remember. She had been here for about a month and that's all she could remember.

But then a jolt in her chest caused her to hyperventilate. What if Arisa wasn't her real name after all? She began to cry, miserably and hopelessly, for the life she had lost.


	14. Chapter 14

Hikaru stared angrily into his dresser drawer, his hands hovering above his school uniform. It was lying next its perfectly folded copy—Kaoru's. His hand trembled slightly but he pulled his uniform out quickly and slammed the drawer shut as hard as he could which shook the dresser. He scowled as he cautiously brought the blazer to his nose, breathed in, and closed his eyes. His little brother's scent clung distantly to even his own clothes. It smelt like strawberries or cologne or something Hikaru couldn't place.

He frowned, pulling the outfit away and holding it at arm's length. After a few moments of staring, he slammed the uniform down on the floor with a deep growl of anger. And he turned on his heel and dove into his bed behind him and burrowed under the covers. It was warm but it did nothing to comfort him.

Sighing, he peeked out from beneath his comforter at the empty bed that was Kaoru's. It was smoothed and spread to perfection. It only made Hikaru even more wrathful; the bed was supposed to be messy! That's how Kaoru kept it. So he slapped the cover over his head once more.

It was Monday morning, almost three days since Kaoru had disappeared on Friday night, yet they had found no new information. Not that Hikaru had been any help; his mother had refused to let him go out and look. She had clung to him, moaning about how she didn't want to lose him either. Blah, blah, blah. Hikaru had been infuriated to the point to throw a very expensive vase across the room, shattering with a satisfying crash, but he had obeyed his mother nevertheless. This was after all, the first time she had shown him how much she cared.

But despite all of that, Hikaru planned to go out to look for his little brother after school. He didn't know exactly where to start. Rubbing his fingers together, he imagined the places Kaoru could have gone that night, but again all he could think of was Kaoru's little walks.

Hikaru huffed, throwing the cover off. "Dammit!" he screamed and laid his fists over his eyes. You would think that Kyoya's police would have found something, _something._ But they haven't. They even informed the local police but, of course, they were even more useless.

Suddenly Hikaru's phone rang shrilly, jolting him from the bed. He grabbed the phone with anticipation, expecting to see Kaoru's name on the caller I.D., but he was disappointed once again. He groaned at Tamaki's name on his phone.

He flipped it open reluctantly, swinging his legs off the bed. "Yes, Tamaki?" he droned.

"Hikaru, when are you getting to school this morning?" Tamaki asked in his cheesy, excited whine.

Hikaru rubbed his temples with his right hand. "I don't thinking I'm coming today," he said quietly.

"What!" Tamaki spluttered. "But you need to be here. It's important."

"I doubt it's that important," Hikaru mumbled. He was seriously getting a headache from Tamaki's voice.

"Move aside, Tamaki," a voice said in the background. There was some shuffling until the phone made it to the next speaker. "Hikaru," it was Kyoya, "Get your ass to school. We need to discuss things regarding Kaoru. I even canceled club for this. So you better get here. The bell will be ringing in approximately ten minutes and thirty-five seconds." The phone clicked dead.

Hikaru flew out of his bed because, one, they were finally figuring something out about Kaoru. And two, he knew the sound of a threat in Kyoya's voice when he heard one. He hurtled across the floor, grabbing up his crumbled uniform. Flinging off his night shirt and after ripping off his bottoms, he scrambled down the hall with one foot in his slacks and hopped bare-chested, struggling to get the pants on.

"Get the limo ready," Hikaru hollered through the house, hoping someone hear him. "I got to go!" He zipped up his pants and grabbed his bag just as he struggled into his undershirt. He ran out the front door, still clutching his blazer and halfway into his shirt.

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><p><strong>OOOO... We may be getting somewhere? Ssshhhh, I'm not telling. <strong>


	15. Chapter 15

**Yay! Longest chapter yet! But I hope it's not boring to you! Please review and tell me what you think.**

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><p>Hikaru slammed into his seat just as the bell chimed. He let out a deep breath, dropped his book bag to the floor, and glanced away from the teacher's raised eyebrows. As he squirmed in his seat, he glanced down at his desk as he leaned down to grab his text book and a notebook. His eye twitched, impatient with the class; he just wanted school to be over so that he could go to club…<p>

A few girls whispered, looking his way. He dropped his eyes to his notebook as he flipped it open and began to scribble indistinguishable shapes. It was pointless to try to pay attention since his mind would only wander. He sighed, circling the page.

He tilted his head, ready to sneak a glance at Kaoru's empty desk, but instead locked eyes with deep chocolate orbs that were Haruhi's. She was sitting stiffly, glancing at him with worry in her eyes. Her slim eyebrows were knit and her lips were a thin line. Catching his gaze, she gave him a flicker of a smile.

Hikaru's eyes widened in surprise. Haruhi never showed much emotion, but seeing that small smile and the worry, Hikaru's impression of her was beginning to change. Confused, Hikaru turned back to his notebook.

And class went on that way; slow and full of the teacher's monotone voice. All the while, Hikaru drew aimlessly, thinking of Kaoru, thinking of Haruhi, and catching people whispering. He wished those girls would stop their gossiping. Every time one said Kaoru, he found himself jolting to awareness and gazing heavily in the direction he had heard it.

Finally the relief of the chime called through the halls. Immediately Hikaru stood, shoving his things into his bag.

"Hikaru," Haruhi said, rounding her desk to stand beside him. She held a small stack of books to her chest in her left hand and she straightened her blue blazer with her right. "Are you okay?"

Once again Hikaru was caught by surprise. Sure, she did show her caring side once in a while, but he had never seen so much despair on her face.

"Yeah, great," he said. He shoved the last book into the bag and swung it lightly over his shoulder. "Haruhi, you looked like you just saw a puppy die."

"Well," she said, rubbing at her arm, "I'm just worried." Her eyes avoided his as she looked down at the floor. "It just feels like when my mom died all over again," she added quietly.

Hikaru froze, his hand shaking where he clutched the bag. "Don't you say that," he snarled. Students around them stopped, watching with interest at the scene that was playing out. He leaned forward and stooped so that his lips were near her ear. "Kaoru will come back alive. Don't you dare suggest otherwise."

"I wasn't," she whispered back. He straightened, noting that her eyes were tightened in seriousness and pure worry. But Hikaru couldn't take it. Her words had already sliced him. So he turned on his heal and sauntered out of the classroom.

As he left, he was cut to a stop by group of Kaoru's and his fans. "Hikaru, hi!" one girl giggled happily.

"Hey, where's Kaoru? I heard he hadn't come to school," another asked worriedly, standing her tiptoes, searching over Hikaru's shoulder.

Hikaru felt sick to his stomach and the blood drained out of his face; the word sure traveled "He's sick," he said simply, struggling to give them his winning smile. "Hopefully he will be back soon." Hikaru wasn't ready to give in to the reality that Kaoru may not be back anytime soon, not while he still had hope.

"Oh," she sighed. Hikaru grasped at the girl's name, knowing she was Kaoru's biggest fan, but failed. Kaoru was the one that usually remembered the girls' names. He sighed audibly, gaining sympathetic gazed from the girls.

"Oh, Hikaru, he'll back soon," one girl cried and wrapped around him in tight hug. Hikaru didn't hug back, too numb to humor her.

When she pulled away, Hikaru nodded and turned away, saying, "I have to go to class… thanks."

And he was left to struggle through more of his classes without his beloved little brother. His heart thumped steadily as life went on, but he couldn't help feeling empty without the younger's warm presence. When lunch came around, Hikaru found himself pushing his way into the bathroom, heading to the furthest stall, and locked himself in.

He was breathing heavily, clutching at his chest. It was a different feeling being at school without Kaoru. They always went together, no matter what. If one was sick, the other stayed home. If one had to go to school early or stay late, the other would follow. But now, all of that was gone.

Hikaru drew in a shaking breath, leaned against the brick wall, and slowly slipped down onto the floor. Pulling his knees to his chest, he struggled to withhold his stinging tears; so he counted tiles. After a few minutes of counting and recounting, he heard the door open and soft steps cross the room.

"Hikaru?" a small voice called out.

Hikaru blinked rapidly; he refused to show his week side. "Here," he said numbly.

The steps skipped across the floor followed by heavier, longer strides. Hikaru glanced up as a small blonde poked his head under the stall door. "Hey Hika," Honey smiled.

Hikaru flinched at the nickname. "What are you doing here?" Hikaru asked, standing up and brushing off his slacks.

"I came to get Hikaru to have cake with me! You seemed so sad, but strawberry cheesecake makes everyone feel better!" Honey gushed.

Hikaru rubbed a hand down his face, gathering his nerves. He pulled the stall door open and looked down at the shorter but older boy. "I don't think that will help, Honey, but thanks anyway."

Honey stood up and frowned. "But—"

"Mitsukuni," Mori said from where he leaned against the sinks.

Honey nodded, backing away from the stall, letting Hikaru through. Hikaru looked down at Honey, whose face was drawn into a frown. Suddenly Hikaru was thrown into the realization of how much he had taken Kaoru for granted. He wished that he had spent more time making him smile rather than ignoring him when he looked sad. Hikaru could never cope when Kaoru was sad, so he had just walked away… or got mad.

So some switch in Hikaru flipped and he smiled down at the blonde boy. "So, Honey, where is this cake?"

"Really? Let's go!" Honey cried, racing out of the bathroom, followed by Mori who gave Hikaru an appreciative smile.

Later, Hikaru took a breath of relief at the last chime of the day. Fortunately he had packed up his things five minutes prior, so he could race out of the room without the annoying questions by any of the annoying girls.

He made his way swiftly to the unused music room that housed the host club. Pushing his way through the small groups of students, he stopped at the door, hesitating. He wondered what kind of information he would find there. But, he guessed, he wouldn't find out until he went inside.

Crossing through the double the double doors, he was startled to find that the whole club had made it there before him. He had thought he would be the first one there. The group looked up from where they sat in the circle of chairs and the couch.

"Hikaru, you made it!" Tamaki cried, jumping up from his chair. He raced across the room before anyone could stop him and swung Hikaru around in his warm embrace.

"Tamaki, get off me!" Hikaru yelled, chancing a slim smile.

Tamaki let go with a grin and pulled him over to the group. The whole group had smiles across their faces. Of course their smiles were sad and sympathetic but somehow, it still gave Hikaru courage. Hikaru caught Haruhi's eyes. He gave her a short nod, his own way to apologize. She nodded back, seeming to understand.

"All right," Hikaru said, running his gaze across his fellow club members. "What did you want to talk about?"

Kyoya stepped forward, holding something gently in his hands, and offered it to him. Hikaru's breath caught. It was a bright orange phone.


	16. Chapter 16

**Okay, so I tried to upload this chapter earlier, but for the longest time FanFiction would not let me log in. So at least it's up now right? Anywho enjoy and review!**

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><p>Hikaru reached forward shakily for the little orange phone with his right hand. With his left, he pulled out his identical cell phone. There was no doubt as he brought the two together; it was Kaoru's phone. Hikaru turned away from the group and flipped open Kaoru's.<p>

Inside he found a long list of missed text messages and phone calls. The voicemail appeared to have twenty messages, probably all from Hikaru. He cleared that entire load aside and stood frozen at the background image. It was a snapshot of Kaoru and himself smiling, making peace signs into the camera. Hikaru's lip trembled. But he snapped the phone shut, blocking out the source of his pain.

He turned on the Host Club, just realizing the eerie silence. They all stared at him, waiting for a reaction.

He frowned and clenched his teeth. "Where did you find this Kyoya?" Hikaru managed to rasp from his drying throat.

Kyoya pushed his glasses up his nose and said, "My police force swept all possible places that Kaoru had gone. Fortunately I had ordered them to question all shop owners. This particular shop owner had shoveled his front walk, finding Kaoru's phone. Thus when my people questioned him, he presented this phone."

Hikaru slid his own phone into his pocket and traced his fingers over the scratched edges of Kaoru's. He found himself wondering what had caused Kaoru to drop this phone. "What area was that?" he asked, lifting his eyes up to the older boy.

"Downtown Ouran; it is a commoner shopping area. I'm sure Haruhi would be familiar with it." All eyes darted to Haruhi who just shook her head in disbelief. "It was near a hardware shop," Kyoya continued, "next to the alleyway. At least that is what the shopkeeper reported."

"So what," Hikaru began as he flopped down on the couch beside Honey. Tamaki and Kyoya remained standing, watching the exhausted redhead. "Does that mean it could be the shopkeeper that did this?"

"Hardly," Kyoya replied. "His background and alibi checked out. Besides, there is evidence for something more extreme that has been happening in that particular area."

"And that is?" Hikaru snapped, his temper getting the better of him.

Kyoya glanced at Tamaki, skimmed across the other members, and settled his gaze on Hikaru. "Human Trafficking."

"What!" Hikaru roared jumping to his feet. His hands gripped into tight fists, turning the skin white. The phone his right hand dug into flesh. Lines of red blurred across his vision.

Tamaki leaped forward, holding his hands in front of him in defense. "Hikaru, take a deep breath! Settle down."

"HOW THE FUCK AM I SUPPOSED TO SETTLE DOWN!" Hikaru roared; the large marble room maximized his shout. His breathing sped. "Who knows what they could be doing to Kaoru!"

Hikaru shoved Tamaki out of the way, who landed on the couch, and grabbed at Kyoya's collar. The rest of the host club watched in shock. "What the fuck are they doing to Kaoru? Answer me, damn it! Prostitution? Bodies for gangs? What is happening? Tell me!" Hikaru shrieked.

Kyoya stood perfectly still, his face stony. He only glared down at the young Hitachiin. Hikaru let out a strangled sob, collapsing to in his knees. This time he clutched at Kyoya's slacks, leaning his head against his legs, bawling.

"We don't know for sure," Kyoya said after a brief moment. "There are two trafficking gangs in that area. We can't be sure which one Kaoru had been kidnapped into. Additionally, we must consider that he may have been taken from another source. But as of now we have two suspects. Neither has a specific name, but they do leave their mark. I am still researching on that part and keeping my police force alert."

Hikaru's sobbing had ceased by this point, but the heat boiling in his chest and blinding his eyes continued to fester. He dropped his arms from Kyoya's legs, rising slowly to his feet. "So you're saying… that it still may be a while until we actually find my little brother."

There was a short minute of silence until Kyoya replied honestly, "It may come to that."

Hikaru rotated his body mechanically, setting Kaoru's phone gently on the coffee table, and paced unevenly from the room. The door clicked softly behind him.

Tamaki stood from where he had landed on the couch, dusting himself off. The other members rose with him, worry laced their expressions.

And up from the hallway emanated a loud, miserable cry of anguish. Tamaki brushed aside a tear and rushed to the door. No friend of his would cry alone.

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><p><strong>Got a little emotional! But anyway, I wanted to ask my readers a question. I am thinking of starting a second Hikaru and Kaoru fanfiction. So please tell me what you think of this idea: A pandemic of disease busts through society, killing many. And through the chaos, Kaoru and Hikaru are separated. Hikaru with the host club... Kaoru sent off to... his death? Please let me know! Should I write it? <strong>


	17. Chapter 17

**Lucky You! For all of my lovely readers, I thank you! All of your comments have motivated me to write this so fast! Yay! AND it's over 1000 words. ( not that big of a accomplishment, but whatever! **

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><p>Thrashing and tugging against the restraints; Kaoru was desperate to get away. His mind was drained to exhaustion; thinking hurt. He wasn't sure how many days it had been; he just knew he had enough. So he pulled at the chain at his wrist, despite the reopening wound. Blood trickled down his fingers just as quickly as the tears on his cheeks.<p>

Nine more teenagers had been taken today. This time Kaoru had seen it with his own eyes. He had seen the way they were forced to their feet; a younger girl shook beneath the Keeper's grasp. That's what they've been calling him, Keeper, because no one else could think of anything to call him.

"She's beautiful beneath the dirt," Arisa had whispered, her head resting on her knees. Her eyes were dulled as she looked over at Kaoru. "That won't work in her favor." Kaoru shuddered.

"It's like they are liquidating all of us here," Kaoru replied shakily.

"It's only a matter of time." Arisa squeezed his hand. He wondered if they would be separated… There were only twenty or so kids left.

But that was the last thing on Kaoru's mind as he fought against the chains. He couldn't take the mental torture. He couldn't! He twisted his body with a sharp gasp of pain. They had laid him on his back when it wasn't fully healed. A hiss escaped him as he twisted in the opposite direction.

He fought because he knew their torture was working. His mind and memory were slowly crumbling. Would he become an insane version of himself? Or would he be an empty body?

He gritted his teeth and yanked his feet. No luck.

A bang of the door and a turn of the lock made Kaoru go still. He breathed in heavily and almost blanched from his own odor. His eyes darted around the room in his panic. But the footsteps came steadily across the room after the slam of the door. No time for escape.

"Hello Kaoru," the Keeper's voice sliced through the silence.

Kaoru held back a whimper and tightened his grip on the chains that held him. The hideous face of the man leaned over him, blocking out the light; he smelt of alcohol.

The Keeper sighed, leaned back and rubbed his temples. "You injured yourself again," the man growled. "That won't be good for sale. You took off the bandage again, didn't you?"

Kaoru clamped his mouth shut. He had done just as he said, knowing it would buy him more time.

"You only earned yourself a longer session today," Keeper sang, turning away to pick up a knife and a bandage. He returned to Kaoru, forcing Kaoru's wrist upward.

Kaoru moaned and squeezed his eyes shut. He bit his lip to distract from the nagging pain.

"The cut isn't too deep," the Keeper said to himself. "It will heal in no time." The rough hands moved the chains further up his arm, away from the cut, and held it there. Kaoru turned his head to watch the man dab a cotton ball in a clear liquid and bring it to his bloody wrist. His eyes were forced shut with a squeal. The stuff burned! Kaoru strained against his bindings until the Keeper slapped a bandage over his clean wound.

Kaoru was left panting, staring at the bandage of his arm. Blurs of white edged his vision; he felt like he was floating. He supposed it was because he had never been very tolerable of pain.

"So Kaoru, tell me, what's your favorite color?" the Keeper uttered over his shoulder as he cleaned the knife he had set by Kaoru earlier. Kaoru knew what the knife meant; it was an incentive to keep you talking.

Kaoru searched his mind for the answer and froze when he realized… he couldn't remember. He tightened his eyes shut, begging himself to remember. How could he forget something so simple?

"Uh, uh," Kaoru stuttered, delaying his answer. He opened his eyes and his gaze flitted to the expectant, raised brow of the Keeper. "Yellow?" Kaoru said the uncertainty clear in his voice.

"Good, good," the man chuckled. "You are starting off on the right foot, Kaoru." He began pacing around the table, the knife glittering in and out of his vision. "Now, how many family members do you have?"

"I have Hikaru, Mom, and Dad," Kaoru replied instantaneously. He inwardly cringed.

"No, you don't!" Keeper cried. Kaoru flinched away from where he had stopped beside him. "You have no one, got it?"

Kaoru nodded slowly, his heart rate racing as he stared at the menacing knife. He knew too well what happened when he disagreed.

"Now answer the question again," he snarled, twirling the blade between his dirty fingers.

"I-I-I have no one," Kaoru stuttered. His breath caught when he found that part of his mind was agreeing with his words. "No!" he cried out and began thrashing against the chains with loud, forceful clinks. "No, my family cares! They care! They're looking for me! They are!" he sobbed with fresh tears. His chest throbbed with doubt and fear. He didn't know what to believe anymore.

"Wrong answer," Keeper growled. Still struggling, Kaoru fought to get away from the knife, but it was futile. "You have no one! You are alone! No one is coming for you. They didn't want you," Keeper bellowed, lifting up Kaoru's shirt.

Kaoru whimpered helplessly. The chest was the only place the Keeper would cut; it was an area invisible when wearing clothes. The knife was lowered slowly, dragging out Kaoru's dread, until finally the knife made a thin line across his skin. Kaoru let out a strangled cry.

"You must forget about them. They are of no importance of you. You will _never_ see them again," Keeper murmured in Kaoru's ear as he finished the cut. Kaoru lay panting, hating himself for listening, but he his body was begging him to. His body was already so weak.

"You don't remember them. You don't need to. They don't care."

Kaoru's tears streamed faster. The sob ripped from his chest. "I know!" Kaoru screamed out, surprising himself. The Keeper's ears pricked up with interest and a smile settled on his hideous face. "I know," Kaoru said quieter. "I won't ever see them again…" He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to picture Hikaru. He was his mirror image; it was impossible to forget what your mirror image looked like, right? RIGHT? But… Kaoru hadn't seen a mirror in ages.


	18. Chapter 18

**Ok, just to let you know, this chapter is slower and shorter. I know, sorry! But this will just lead into the upcoming action. The NEXT chapter will be the start of a change, so just look for that! **

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><p>"A week, Kyoya! A week!" Hikaru yelled, continuing to walk purposely down the sidewalk. His hands were gripped at his side; his teeth ground together. "Who knows what could have happened in that time!"<p>

Hikaru stared forward into the snow-laden street with eyebrows furrowed. He refused to look at Tamaki who was walking beside him, staring at him with those sad eyes. Hikaru didn't want his sympathy. What he wanted was his help.

"I'm fully aware of that," Kyoya stated from behind him. Hikaru whirled to a stop, facing the bespectacled, dark-haired teen. He was tapping away at his touch-screen computer pad, doing God-knows-what.

"What exactly is your police force doing?" Hikaru demanded, striding forward and glaring. "Really, tell me, because I want to know. It seems like they are doing nothing."

Kyoya pushed his glasses up his nose but didn't look up from the pad. "They are patrolling the downtown area. They are monitoring flights in and out of Japan for any suspicious passengers or groups. They are investigating the underground black market in this area." Kyoya looked up with a glint in his eye. "Any more questions?"

Hikaru scowled. "Well, they aren't doing a good enough job." He whipped back into his original direction stiffly but continued to walk.

"Kyoya's police force is the best there is," Tamaki piped up, picking up his pace to match Hikaru's. He peered into Hikaru's eyes with those light purple eyes that begged him to listen. "I know that they will find him."

Hikaru shook his head, staring forward. "I don't think so. That's why I'm doing this."

Tamaki shook his head in disbelief. "And what exactly are you doing?" Tamaki raised his voice.

Hikaru bent his head to the wind, covering his eyes with his orange bangs. "Getting Kaoru back the only way I can," he muttered, slamming his trembling fists into his pockets. "I'm going to bring back from the inside."

"That's insane!" Tamaki cried, jumping with grand gesture of his hands. "So many things could go wrong! You could be killed by an axe murderer or maimed by a…" Tamaki trailed off, seeing the murderous glare on Hikaru's face.

"It's no different than what's happening to Kaoru, then. We go through these things together. We always have. I need to be there for him; I promised to protect him, Tamaki. But I…" Hikaru trailed off, biting his lip.

Tamaki stepped in front of Kaoru, bringing him to a halt. "It's not your fault, Hikaru," he said softly, looking him straight in the eye. "How could you have known this would happen?" He brushed a hand through his blonde hair with a serious frown. This frown often occupied the club leader's face nowadays. "Besides, how would getting yourself caught, help Kaoru?"

"Not to mention that there are multiple places where Kaoru could be and putting yourself into a bad situation for no reason would be just a waste of time," Kyoya voiced from behind.

Hikaru sighed. "Yeah, yeah, I know," Hikaru moaned. He looked up; his eyes were tightened with anger. "Now just take me home before I change my mind." He swung around and walked back towards Kyoya. He stopped and stuck a finger in Kyoya's direction. "Make sure Kaoru comes back safe."

Kyoya looked up from his pad, nodding. "We'll do our best."

"It better be enough," Hikaru muttered beneath his breath.


	19. Chapter 19

Kaoru's eyes darted from side to side. He clutched at his knees, setting his head on top and tilted it slightly to the left to look at Arisa, deep in thought. Frowning, he thought about her family and her memories. Did she remember as little as he?

He picked up his hands from where they had hung limply against his feet to stare deeply; they were grimy. A thick layer of dirt lined the underside of the peeling nails and his skin was dry and cracked. He sighed, hugging his knees a second time.

Kaoru began humming an unidentified tune beneath his breath. It helped him think sometimes, not that he knew what to think about. He just thought about things. Though every time he did, he felt something nagging just at the edge of his mind.

"Kaoru?" a soft voice called him.

Kaoru shifted his head to look at her comfortably. The girl's face was pale and thin. She had lost a lot of wait in the last few days.

"Kaoru, how much do you remember?" She asked, her eyes piercing his gaze.

"Uh, what are you talking about?" he asked.

Her eyes widened and her lips parted in shock. She scooted over as far as the chains allowed with a clank and looked over her shoulder at the remaining teens. There were about ten left, counting Kaoru and herself, and all of them looked just as dead as Kaoru did now.

"Do you remember you family?" she asked.

Kaoru dropped his eyes, rubbing his bare foot across the concrete in a nervous tick. "Do you?" he countered.

"No but I wish I did."

"I wish I did too." He frowned as he felt his heart stir angrily inside his small frame. A strangle gasp escaped his lips as the tears began to burn. He knew he could get in trouble if anyone found him like this, but he cried anyway as he leaned into Arisa's sudden embrace. His breath was light on her shoulder, struggling to calm down.

"I forgot mom and dad a long time ago," he murmured. "I know I have them. But I… can't remember. A-a-and Hikaru… is my brother." Kaoru closed his eyes, grasping at the image. "He looks like me, but… I can't remember exactly how."

"Shhhh," Arisa hummed, stroking the red-head's dirty hair.

Kaoru buried his head deeper against her skin. "It doesn't matter anyway. They all hate me."

"You know that's not true," Arisa said into his ear. "It's only what the Keeper says. They are looking for you still." Kaoru sighed, only half believing her words.

The door slammed open and the two jumped apart. Kaoru wiped frantically at the streaks on his cheeks, readying himself for another torturous session. But then he saw the difference. Two more people had sauntered into the room just behind the Keeper.

"These are our strongest," the Keeper told the other two. "We should get a great price for them."

The woman behind him nodded. Kaoru tightened his glare and tensed his muscles at that sight of her; she was the reason he was here, that he knew. "Then we can finally lay low for a little while," she said. "Have you seen how many cops they have out now? It's a nightmare. I don't even try catching fresh ones right now."

The Keeper nodded. "That's why I saved these ones for last. They'll be easy to get rid of."

"Okay," said the other man. "Let's start sorting them."

"Listen up!" the Keeper hollered. "When we unchain you, we are putting you into one of two groups. And you better stay in your group or else I'll rip your fucking throat out."

No one said anything, silently accepting their fates. Kaoru looked at Arisa, giving her a small smile. "If we are separated, I guess this is good bye," she whispered. The despair was heavy in her eyes.

Kaoru's heart skipped unevenly at the thought of continuing without his only friend. He would probably go insane. "Good luck," he whispered back as the Keeper approached.

The keeper tugged roughly at Kaoru's chains, making him wince. Although his wrist wound had almost healed, it still hurt to be pressured against. He bit his lip to stop himself from making any noise. And then he was pulled to his unstable feet and was thrust into the smaller group. Relief washed over him as Arisa was put into her group. They gave each other a short, reassuring nod. There was four in their group—another boy and girl. The opposite group held six girls. Kaoru frowned. He hadn't noticed how many girls were left. Instantly, his heart went out to the other group; he had an idea where they were going.

Soon after, Kaoru was sitting beside Arisa in a big white van, driven by the Keeper himself. The Keeper's cronies had gone with the larger group.

Kaoru rested his head against the tinted glass, ignoring the bumps in the road that knocked his forehead against the window. He was just happy to see the sunlight; to feel it on his skin. He smiled sadly, hoping that wherever they were going, they would be able to see the sun.

But as they rode on through the city, Kaoru's breath caught at the sight of a group of kids walking down the sidewalk. These teenagers were arguing. Heated expressions covered the two in the front, while the other four in the back ignored them.

Kaoru felt a familiar throb in his chest as he studied these faces as the van approached them. These people, whoever they were, were stirring something in Kaoru's mind, begging him to remember. Kaoru held his breath, just as they passed. And his heart pumped over time as a particular red-head stopped dead on the sidewalk, whipping his head in the van's direction.

Kaoru watched in slow motion, breathing erratically, as the rest of the group stopped behind the red-head. The orange eyes of the familiar teen stared into the van, just as Kaoru moved by, no more than five feet from where the red-head boy stood.

Kaoru fumbled in his mind. This kid, this boy, he was, he was, he was…

And he lost the thought as the Keeper caught his attention with his hideous voice. "We're almost there," he cackled. Kaoru turned his gaze back to the group, turning his head over his shoulder. The same boy was still standing there, staring in the van's direction as he shrunk smaller and smaller into the distance.

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><p><strong>*cries* Sorry Kao, I'm not through with you yet! Thank you for reading this lovely chapter. Also, I decided I will write that new story I was talking about a couple chapters ago. But it will still be a little while before I start it. I want to finish up one of my original stories on Fiction Press before I get going a new story. (Also, I don't want to interfere with this one.) So look for that. It should be started in a couple weeks. And don't forget to review, lovely readers! <strong>


	20. Chapter 20

Hikaru sighed, pulling himself up from his desk just as the bell rang. He focused his eyes on getting things into his backpack, not allowing them to wander to Kaoru's still empty desk. It had been a full week and three days since Kaoru had gone missing and still, there were no new leads.

And to make it worse, the whole school had started to notice Kaoru's absence. But every time someone asked where Kaoru was, Hikaru just remained silent. He didn't want them to know. Plus, if he said the words aloud, he knew he would be a bawling wreck. Thank goodness Kyoya had taken the initiative to tell everyone that Kaoru was in the hospital. He explained to the girls at club that his condition and whereabouts were confidential. Hikaru had a lot to thank Kyoya for.

Hikaru slung his bag over his shoulder and stood, preparing himself for another long evening worrying and being smothered by his mother. Father was home now too, but Hikaru hadn't seen much of him. He sighed.

"Wait, Hikaru," Haruhi called from behind him, grabbing lightly onto his blazer.

"Hey Haruhi," he said calmly, not letting of the sadness leak into his voice.

She released his arm to adjust her brown bag against her shoulder. "Everyone's coming over to my place today," she said with a smile. "You should come to."

Hikaru rubbed the side of his arm, looking out the wide windows at the cheerfully, sunny day. The sun sparkled off the snow, making him squint. "I don't know, Haruhi, I'm not exactly in the mood." The last of the other students streamed out the door.

"Come on." She nudged his arm playfully. "It would be a good distraction."

Hikaru looked down at the short brown-haired cross-dressing girl curiously. He supposed a distraction would help; he was practically making himself sick with endless emotional turmoil. "What do you have in mind?"

She smiled genuinely. "Good, that's the spirit. Kaoru wouldn't want you to mope like this."

"Stop talking about him as if he's dead," Hikaru snapped suddenly, feeling a rush of hot anger rush through his chest.

Haruhi flinched but composed herself. "Hikaru, for the last time, I don't mean it like that. So please just calm down and let's go."

He narrowed his eyes at her, not ready to let it go yet, but forced in a deep breath. "Okay," he forced out. "Let's get out of here."

The rest of the host club members met up with them near the front gate. "Haruhi's house, Haruhi's house!" Tamaki sang repeatedly, jumping up to Haruhi and Hikaru.

"If you don't shut up, Tamaki, I may have to kick your ass," Hikaru laughed despite himself.

Haruhi ran an annoyed hand over her face as Tamaki continued, ignoring Hikaru's threat. "Seriously, I might beat you to it, Hikaru," she moaned.

Tamaki didn't hear them as he paced ahead of them. "Come on!" he hollered over his shoulder.

"Aren't we going to take the limo?" Honey asked as they picked up their speed to catch up with the excited blonde.

Tamaki smiled. "We should walk today. It's so lovely out. Plus," he said holding up a pointer finger. "We can see how it is for those who don't have transportation to school. We could use this as a learning experience."

Haruhi groaned while Kyoya pushed his glasses up his nose. "If you insist," Kyoya sighed. "There's no use arguing with him," he said to the rest.

And they began their journey down the sidewalks. Hikaru found himself wondering into the recesses of his mind; he recalled one particular walk with Kaoru that sent a smile to his face. Kaoru had been in a foul mood; something about a bad math grade. And they had made it three blocks, filled with Kaoru's silence. Hikaru hated when he was quiet, he couldn't tell what his younger brother was thinking. But that is when they had stumbled upon a stray kitten.

_"Hikaru, look!" Kaoru said suddenly. His face lit happily as he pointed out a little black and white kitten. He reached down and scooped the little thing into his hands. "He's adorable," Kaoru laughed, his eyes sparkling._

_ Hikaru smiled too; glad his brother was back to normal. "We should take him home," Hikaru said. He reached out and petted the little kitten in Kaoru's hands and it began to purr, flicking its black ears contently._

_ Kaoru nodded. "We'll find you a good home, little buddy," Kaoru said to the little thing._

Hikaru tilted his head. He wondered how the kitten was faring now.

"Hikaru, you have a creepy look on your face," Tamaki laughed.

Hikaru snapped back into reality and glared at the blonde. "You're one to talk. You always look like you are thinking about something perverted!" Hikaru taunted back.

"What?" Tamaki exclaimed, shocked. "When had this happened?"

Hikaru passed through the other four hosts to walk along Tamaki. "Only every day," Hikaru retorted. "Sometimes I wonder how an idiot can be our top host." Hikaru tried to hold back a chuckle at Tamaki's exaggerated look of shock. Distantly, Hikaru thought about how weird it was to be laughing when he felt so terrible. He hadn't laughed much at all since Kaoru went missing.

"Impossible," Tamaki exclaimed and continued into a rant that Hikaru only half listened to.

But suddenly, Hikaru's heart rate picked up, leaving him breathless. And that he got that feeling he only got when Kaoru…

He whipped his gaze to the street to see a white van rolling by just at that moment and stopped walking completely. Kaoru! But was immediately disappointed, seeing only his reflection in the darkly tinted window.

Everything slowed in that moment as he watched the van pass only a few feet from his place on the pavement. His eyes welled, feeling something so familiar. But all that was there was he reflection, right? "Kaoru?" he whispered uncertainly.

But then the van was already passing, driving down the gentle slope away. Hikaru stared after it, feeling as if his heart was being ripped out.

"Hikaru?" Haruhi asked.

Hikaru glanced at her. They were all standing behind him, stopped. Haruhi, Mori and Honey had looks of confusion but what Hikaru stared at was Tamaki and Kyoya. Kyoya was frozen, one hand holding his clipboard, the other holding a pen and hovering over the page. Tamaki, on the other hand, was still staring into the street, his face pale, violet eyes wide.

"Wh-what's wrong Tamaki?" Hikaru asked.

Kyoya looked down at the clipboard suddenly and began writing something on the paper. Tamaki turned to Hikaru; disbelief replaced shock in his face. "Are you dense?" Tamaki hollered suddenly.

"What?" Hikaru cried, frowning.

"Hikaru," Tamaki said, looking him right in the eye. "Kaoru was in that van."

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><p><strong>Things are about to get real! lol I apologize for not updating earlier- life, what can you do? Anyways enjoy. I'm re-uploading this chapter because it did not want to work before.<strong>


	21. Chapter 21

Kaoru stared out the window even though they had long past the group of kids, until finally he snapped out of his stupor. He didn't know who that kid was, but seeing him had flipped a switch somewhere inside of him. The will to live had been thrown into him like a hurricane.

He shifted in his seat, careful not to brush his puckering wounds against the scratchy seat and moved his bound wrists further up his lap. Arisa next to him was bent and leaning forward so that her matted brown hair hung in her face, shadowing her features. Her clasped hands were gripped on the stained jeans hanging from her legs. The skin of her wrists shown red from the rubbing of the rope tied there. Kaoru scratched his own wrists self-consciously.

Kaoru held back a smile as he realized how close he and Arisa were sitting. So he was free to give a small, unnoticeable nudge to the ribs. Kaoru looked away as she jumped in surprise so that the Keeper wouldn't suspect anything. He peeked at the man driving through his lowered orange bangs. The Keeper didn't even glance in the rear view mirror.

Kaoru tilted his head towards Arisa discreetly as she did the same. She was frowning, clearly expecting something. "We need to ditch," Kaoru breathed under her breath.

"I'd thought you'd never come around," she whispered back, keeping her eyes straight forward.

"As soon as we get out," Kaoru continued, "we run."

She nodded subtly in a way only Kaoru noticed and they went back to staring out their individual windows. The rest of the ride was short; Kaoru's veins pumped with adrenaline in anticipation. He tapped his foot soundlessly against the plastic carpet protectors but then stopped, staring. When had he had lost his shoes? He bit his lip; a lot of things were hazy these days.

Finally, the van came to a stop and Kaoru sat as relaxed as he could. He forced himself to breath. The Keeper slammed his door shut and began making his way around the front of the van. Kaoru closed his eyes, trying to remember the face of the nameless stranger he had seen in the street. But he came up with nothing. It was already thrown into the recesses of his broken mind.

His eyes snapped open as he heard the click of the door and the rolling of the door. The Keeper reached in, grabbing Kaoru and forced him to his feet. Kaoru stumbled on his own two feet and bumped into the side of the van door. He hissed in pain as one wound on his chest began to throb.

And then he was thrown to the curb, landing on his side because he was unable to catch himself due to his tied hands. He gasped at the impact.

While the Keeper was distracted, Kaoru glanced around his surroundings through tear-filled eyes. He didn't recognize anything, not a clue. They were in the slums; the buildings were high but deteriorating. The people that roamed the streets took no notice to the red-head dumped in the street; they must be used to it, Kaoru decided.

Soon, Arisa was dumped down onto the concrete beside him. She ground her teeth but didn't make a sound. Her wounds weren't as bad as Kaoru's.

Kaoru steadied himself as he pulled his body to his knees. Arisa did the same, making eye contact with him. Just from that one look, Kaoru knew she was ready. She braced herself, moving one foot at the ready. The Keeper was busy with the girl in the back seat. But as Kaoru turned his head, he noticed a group of guys approaching them from the left end of the sidewalk. Shit. Those were probably the people that bought them.

Kaoru flicked his eyes to Arisa and back again. She nodded in understanding. And then… Kaoru nodded.

They flew to their feet in a second and pumped their legs into a sprint the moment they stood. Kaoru was glad that he and Arisa kept pace together easily. But then he heard the angry shouts from behind.

He twisted his head over his shoulder to see the three men running in their direction, still a ways behind. The Keeper stayed by the van, holding on to the other two kids.

"Shit!" Arisa shouted. "They're gaining!"

"Through here!" Kaoru shouted back, ducking into an alley suddenly with increasing speed.

They ran faster than they had ever done in their lives. Arisa's breathing was heavier than his own; she wasn't used to so much physical activity. But they kept up the pace. Kaoru's hands bounced uncomfortably against his chest as he dodged his way through the garbage laden alley. Faintly, he could hear heavy footsteps in hot pursuit.

"This way," Arisa huffed, swerving into a narrow space between two buildings. They had to slow to push themselves through the tight pathway. Bricks rubbed on both of Kaoru's arms as they jogged. Kaoru gasped in air, his heart thudding deeply against his chest. He felt slightly dizzy.

"Where'd they go?" a voice echoed from somewhere behind.

They didn't hesitate; Kaoru and Arisa ran faster until the path opened up into another dead street. Without out looking for cars, they sprinted into the street, narrowly dodging a blaring car.

Distantly, Kaoru heard the roar of sirens. But he just focused on following Arisa, who dove into another alley and took a quick right into another small alley. Their heavy breathing intertwined as they ran. Kaoru kept his ears at the ready for any unusual noises.

But it was hard to concentrate while his muscles were burning in effort. 'Just keep moving, just keep moving. Everything will be okay, everything will be okay,' Kaoru chanted over and over in his mind.

They turned another corner when Arisa screamed. One of the men stood there. "Gotcha!" he hollered, lunging for Arisa.

She jumped out of the way. "Let's go!" Kaoru cried. They began running again but they were already so tired and the man was so fast.

Arisa screamed again as the man caught a hold on her arm. "Arisa!" Kaoru shouted. He lunged at the man, kicking him high in the gut.

"You little shit," the man gasped, turning his dark eyes on him. He rammed a thick fist into Kaoru's face.

"Kaoru!" he heard Arisa scream through the haze that nagged at him. The world spun but he regained his foot hold.

"We are not going back!" Kaoru hollered, spitting out blood. In unison, Arisa and Kaoru sprinted at the man, both aiming a kick. But this time he was ready. He took the weak hit from Arisa but slammed into Kaoru's gut with crippling strength.

Kaoru dropped to the ground, screaming in pain and his eyes watering. The man pushed Arisa aside, slamming her into a trash can. Kaoru tried to gasp her name, but he could clutch at his chest as he laid there. The pain was blinding against the countless wounds.

He watched as the man approached Kaoru slowly, pulling a gun from his waistband. Kaoru couldn't even be surprised any more. His life was full of this shit.

The man raised the shining gun. "We don't need rebellion," the man spat. "You aren't worth the money." He clicked off the safety.

"Kaoru!" Arisa cried, struggling to her shaking legs, holding her hands in a tight grip.

The man aimed the gun, the barrel pointed directly at Kaoru's forehead. Kaoru breathed in unsteadily but did not move eyes from the gun. "I'm sorry, Arisa," he croaked.

"Kaoru!"

A click and then the sickening sound of a shot being fired.

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><p><strong>Oh Lord, I am both excited and nervous to see everyone's reaction to this chapter! GAH! I guess you will just have to wait till next chapter to see what happened with that gun shot! BWAHAHA!<strong>


	22. Chapter 22

Blood, blood, blood. Kaoru could feel it all over him with the sound of the impact. He squeezed his eyes shut, ready to escape this cruel world, but then became confused. He could feel the sticky wet mess of the blood, but yet, there was no pain. Did he die instantly?

Kaoru blinked slowly, his ears still ringing from the gun shot, struggling to understand what was going on. He tilted his head and froze, noticing a shadow trailing over him. Was the man back to finish the job?

But then his amber eyes hit the gray eyes hovering inches above his head. "No," he croaked. "No, no, no, no." The eyes lidded as the light faded from the irises. "Arisa, no!" Kaoru cried pitifully, turning onto his back to face her.

The girl was crouched over him, arms and legs wrapped around his, using herself as a human shield. Her head hung limply over him; her brown hair nearly touched his face. She gasped in a shuddering breath.

"Arisa," Kaoru whispered, his heart hammering and his hand shook as he reached for her face. Her body trembled over his in another struggling intake of air. Streams of crimson blood rolled down the gentle curve of the girl's back, dripping onto Kaoru's soiled clothes.

"Arisa," Kaoru called a second time. The tears burst from his eyes as his lips trembled. "Why? Why did you do that?" he practically shouted as he took ahold of her cold face. Her eyes blinked heavily. "No! You can't die on me!"

Kaoru pulled himself painfully up into a sitting position, nestling the fragile girl in his light grasp so that he could hold her but yet see her eyes. She gasped in a gurgled cough. Kaoru sniffed, clutching at her shirt with one hand. His other came up to wipe his sniffling nose but froze as it smeared with blood.

"Arisa talk to me!" He cried, turning his attention back to the girl who was staring up into the clouds. The thin layer of snow in this alley iced Kaoru's legs and Arisa was growing just as cold. "You can't leave me alone!" His eyes darted from her left eye to her right in alternation.

With a groan she turned her glazed eyes on him. She moved her lips slowly in silent words, but he couldn't make them out. And then… she smiled. That one sad, departing smile ripped at Kaoru's chest, tearing him half. A tear dropped from his cheek, mixing with the blood Kaoru had smeared on her cheek.

"You can't die," Kaoru moaned. She opened her mouth to speak again when suddenly she was pulled from his grasp.

Kaoru glanced up at the wretched man who had moved her aside. "You!" Kaoru roared as the man dropped her. "She's going to die because of you!"

Kaoru glanced back at Arisa; her eyes still watched him, blinking slowly. She was dying, but it was sluggish to take her. "I'll kill you," Kaoru growled. He struggled to his jellied legs, clutching at his pained side. The sounds in his ears finally fizzled back into reality. Sirens called over the empty alleys, growing louder with every second.

"You couldn't if you tried," the man replied slowly. No twitch of remorse was held in his face. And he walked towards the young Hitachiin in slow, deliberate steps saying, "I guess I'll have to take you instead."

Kaoru's eyes widened and glanced back at Arisa. Her blood was staining the snow. He back towards her. "Why? You just tried to kill me," he spat. But his words came out in trembles as he sank to his knees beside the fading girl. He lifted his hand to move a lock of hair from her eyes. Fear wracked his body but he couldn't leave the dying girl. And even if he could… he couldn't outrun the stronger man.

Kaoru turned a glare on the man as he pulled him away from Kaoru's only friend. "We need bodies," the man said simply.

Kaoru clenched his teeth and thrashed against the man's grip. The man had him by the waist, just where all of the cuts were lined. With every thrash, Kaoru was gasping in horrifying pain.

"Arisa!" Kaoru sobbed as he was pulled further away. She only stared. Her ragged breathing was almost silent against the sirens nearby. She blinked slowly and uttered one word in gasping defeat, "Kaoru."

"No! Let me go!" Kaoru hollered, kicking and punching but hitting nothing. The man clenched harder at his waist. Kaoru screamed, his eyes rolling up into his lids at the white hot pain. His head pounded but he struggled against the dream world pulling at his mind.

"Arisa, Arisa!" he cried quietly. But he couldn't stay awake any longer. He attempted one last thrash against the strong hold but his wounds rubbed aggravatingly; he was left panting. "I can't let her die," he whimpered in a weak voice. However, it could no longer be done.

His muscles went slack as he felt himself slipping. His stomach burned while his tears slowed.

"Kaoru!" a distance voice echoed. 'Where?' Kaoru thought turning his head from where it had collapsed again the man's shoulder. He vaguely noted that he was being carried urgently from the alley. Arisa was lying far behind. He could no longer see if her eyes were open or not.

"Kaoru where are you?" the voice called again, penetrating at the haze. 'Familiar. Who?' Kaoru wondered.

"Shit," he heard the man groan as he quickened his pace.

Kaoru was tired; so, so tired. He blinked slowly as the sirens faded from his hearing. The last thing he remembered was one final call, "Kaoru?"

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><p><strong>Oh, now I feel kind of mean. Poor Kao. AND thank you everyone for your lovely reviews! I never had so many in such a small time period! I love everyone who reviewed! *hugs*<strong>


	23. Chapter 23

**I apologize for any grammatical mistakes. I wrote this on the fly. My day was so busy! GAAHHH**

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><p>By the time Hikaru arrived at the scene, he was quivering with fear and anticipation. His hands shook as he glanced out the window when they rolled to a stop. There were whirring lights of the Ouran police and, even better, Kyoya's police were on a rampage. Hikaru's seatbelt was off before anyone could blink.<p>

The sirens were loud and piercing. Hikaru skimmed the crowd until he laid eyes on the white van. Quickly he jogged over to the bustling group of uniformed men and rounded the van. There was shouting; Hikaru stopped in his tracks, huffing in worried breaths.

"Where are the rest of them?" one of Kyoya's officers hollered into the face of gruff man. The straggly offender was slammed against the van with hands behind his back; his face was dirt-laden and his brown hair was rough and dull.

"I'm not talking!" the offender yelled back, struggling against the officer's hold.

The rest of the host club caught up to Hikaru, rallying around the young Hitachiin. "What's going on here?" Kyoya demanded, stepping around Hikaru; his face stony.

The officer looked up with a frown. "A child trafficker," he said darkly. "He's been selling these children for any price and for any job. That's what these two have been telling me." He gestured to the two kids sitting on the edge of the snowy curb. There was a girl and a boy. Both were extremely dirty and extremely thin. They couldn't be much younger than the host club members.

Hikaru's eyes widened as the two glanced up at the group. They looked so dead.

"But now this _bastard,_" he said with a shake of the man, "won't tell me who he works with or where the rest of the children are."

Kyoya opened his mouth to talk when a timid voice interrupted him. "You look like him," the boy said in a ragged whisper.

A jolt went up Hikaru's spine as the kid's dead gaze turned on him. "Are you his ghost?" the kid asked with a tilt of his head.

Hikaru shuddered at the eerie comment and shook his head with a frown. His lip trembled as he fought to speak. "You mean Kaoru?" he asked, stepping forward.

"Oh is that his name?" the boy said, glancing at the girl beside him. "Did you hear that, the new kid's name was Kaoru?"

The pre-teen girl didn't respond. She only stared into the asphalt, unblinking. The boy turned back and caught Hikaru's confused stare. "She can't talk anymore," he whispered as if the girl wouldn't hear. "Her soul died."

The blood in Hikaru's face drained. What has Kaoru been through? He blinked slowly before squatting down to the boy's eye level. He glanced over his shoulder. The club members were being held behind the police lines by Kyoya's police. Tamaki looked royally pissed while the others looked worried. He glanced up at Kyoya, who stood nearby. "They would get in the way," Kyoya said simply.

Hikaru nodded and returned his attention to the boy. "Where did Kaoru go?" Hikaru asked urgently.

"Oh he ran that way," the boy said dreamily, pointing up the street into the shabbier side of town. "He had a girl with him, Arisa. She always helps me out. She is my favorite, Arisa." The kid spaced out for a second before returning to reality. "Some men chased them. They're gonna die," the kid finished.

"What!" Hikaru cried, jumping to his feet in an instance. He looked over at police were already rushing in that direction. Kyoya was talking to one of his men. The host club was preoccupied. So Hikaru did what he did best, slip away unnoticed.

He was running, fast as he could. He needed Kaoru; he had been too long without his brother's laughter, his smile. What was he without him?

"Kaoru!" he screeched out, racing across the street. He had noticed the police break off into groups further down the street, but they hadn't even checked this side. His heart thumped with adrenaline; he breathed erratically.

"Kaoru, where are you?" He called through his cupped hands.

He flung himself into a side alley running along the edge of the wall, staying alert. These men were dangerous; he had to keep his guard up. "Kaoru!" he called painfully. Tears threatened at his eyes as he raced through the labyrinth of alleyways. "Kaoru!" He gripped his hands in tight balls and pushed himself harder. Kaoru was around here somewhere; he wouldn't lose him now.

He went and spun around a corner but slipped on a patch of ice. He was down, plastered to the chilling snow, with his knee throbbing. But he was up again in a heartbeat. Nothing would keep him down.

But just as he ran to a new alley, he heard a distant scream and a… a… gunshot. It rang horrendously through the air, stopping Hikaru dead in his tracks. "No, Kaoru," he gasped. The tears finally broke free, slipping down his smooth skin.

He turned on his heel and bolted back the way he had come. Where had it come from? 'God help me' Hikaru thought as he pumped his straining muscles. 'Let me get there in time.'

He ran down a dimmed alleyway and took a right. Dead end. "DAMMIT!" he cried, frustrated. Without a second to spare, he was running again. But he couldn't pinpoint where the shot had come from. Hikaru ran back out into the street, running down an unfamiliar road. Where was he?

"Kaoru!" he cried again, hoping for an answer or anything really.

"Kaoru where are you?" he called once again. That's when he heard something. The alley he had just passed, there had been a whimper. "Kaoru?" he asked uncertainly, back tracking his steps.

He froze, feeling sick. The snow was red and a body… Hikaru choked a gasping sob. He raced over to the body and collapsed to his knees. Hikaru felt a wave of relief when it wasn't Kaoru but then felt a jolt of guilt. The girl was lying on her side, staring into the far end of the alley. Her lips were blue and she was breathing sporadically.

Hikaru shuffled to take out his cell phone when the girl's eyes snapped to his. "Ka-Kao...ru?" she forced out.

"You know Kaoru? Where is he? I'm his brother!" he blurted, grabbing the girl's shoulder with his cell still in his hand.

She opened her mouth, working her jaw but nothing came out besides the gurgled groan. Finally she gave up and looked Hikaru dead in the eyes and slowly led her gaze back into the darkness of the alley. Hikaru immediately understood. But before he did anything, he lifted his cell phone to call someone for help. But at that second, a few of Kyoya's force raced by.

"Hey!" Hikaru yelled at the top of his lungs. "Hey, we need help here. Help!" His voice was shaky with fear.

He looked down at the bloody girl; she shuddered violently. "Hang in there," he whispered just as the police burst down the small alley. And, as soon as Hikaru saw the police noticed the injured girl, he flew onto his feet once more and began running down into the darkness.

Kaoru couldn't be too far ahead, could he?

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><p><strong>Readers, I am sorry that the story did not advance much further. I feel bad since everyone just wants to know what happens! But I really wanted to do a Hikaru point of view. I hoped you liked it anyway.<strong>


	24. Chapter 24

Hikaru ran into the shadowy end of the alley and turned onto the next. He had to use his best judgment to find Kaoru. But nonetheless he was thankful for the tracks in the snow. And he knew he was heading in the right direction when he started noticing the occasional stain of blood in the tracks.

"Please let him be okay," Hikaru huffed to himself between breaths.

The winter light began to dim as it reached evening time. It had only been a few minutes since Hikaru had started running again, but at that moment it felt like an eternity. This moment would long haunt him in his dreams.

Hikaru reached a street and paused, deciding which direction to go next. The chilling wind wrapped around him, invading his thin jacket. His eyes skimmed the empty street. Why were these slum roads so quiet? It was almost eerie.

But then Hikaru noticed something that made his heart thump full time. A man was racing away into an alley further down the street, holding…

"Kaoru!" Hikaru screamed, shoving his feet against hard pavement in a sudden sprint. The anger engulfed him immediately. No one kidnaps his little brother and gets away with it. NO ONE.

The man spotted Hikaru over his shoulder and sprinted into the alley and out of Hikaru's sight. But he wasn't getting away that easily. "Dammit!" Hikaru roared, trying to push his already tired muscles a little harder.

He jumped over the curb and slid on the ice and kept going. He rounded the corner and slipped into another dark alley. Just ahead was the man. Hikaru's breathing sped at the horrifying state of his brother.

Kaoru was sprawled across the offender's shoulder, lying limply, and held like a piece of cargo. His arms hung lifelessly and his heal rolled against the kidnapper's shoulder. Those golden eyes were closed to the world. But what made Hikaru want to cry was how thin his little brother had grown. His jaw line was sharp; his bones stuck out. How much had they starved Kaoru?

But then Hikaru noticed how much blood covered the younger Hitachiin. That's when the rage returned. He continued to sprint till he was just on the heels of the older man. "Give me back my little brother!"

The man turned and skidded to a stop on the slippery ice beneath the snow and towered over Hikaru. Immediately, as Hikaru came to a stop, he pulled out a small Swiss army knife and faced the old man.

The man chuckled, shifting Kaoru on his shoulder. "Brother, huh? And you plan on saving him with that puny knife?" He laughed again

Hikaru ignored his taunt and tightened his glare. "Let. Him. Go."

"I'm sorry, I can't do that," the man said with a smile. He moved his arm and let Kaoru drop down onto the hard snow with a loud slap. "You see, I just bought the little piece of shit and I intend to use him."

Hikaru's mouth hung open as he stared at his brother lying in the snow. "Kaoru," he said, hoping he was okay.

"Don't worry he's alive," the kidnapper drawled, "unfortunately. He just doesn't want to die."

Kaoru twitched in the snow and a low moan escaped his lips. Hikaru could only see the back of his brother's head, so he couldn't tell if he was fully awake yet.

"You bastard!" Hikaru yelled, turning his gaze back onto the kidnapper. "Just leave him alone. You can walk away right now and not get into any trouble. Just leave my brother here."

"Doubtful," the man said darkly, reaching for his pocket.

"Don't you move!" Hikaru screamed gesturing with his knife. A stream of cold sweat trickled down his neck.

"Or what?" he asked. "You'll knife me?" He laughed cruelly at Hikaru as he reached into his waistband and pulled out a dark, gleaming gun. Hikaru inhaled sharply. "I know you wouldn't be able to. Me on the other hand… I kill with no problems."

"Freeze!" a voice hollered from behind Hikaru. Hikaru glanced behind him to see several of Kyoya's officers pacing up the alleyway, holding their guns at the ready. Honey and Mori stood at the ready behind them; their skills could come in handy if it came to that.

Hikaru glanced back at the kidnapper to see that more officers approaching from the opposite end of the alley. Relief watched over the red-head in an instant. They were surrounded. Kaoru would be safe now.

"I see," the kidnapper laughed. "You have a back-up."

"Drop you weapon!" one of the man caller as they circled in tighter around the kidnapper.

The man smiled and turned his eyes Hikaru. But instead of dropping the gun, he raised it at Hikaru.

Hikaru froze, his heart beating rapidly at the barrel pointed at his face.

"Drop it!" the same voice called again.

The man shook his head, fixed on Hikaru. "I would have been a lot easier on you kid if you just didn't invite your back-up. But I guess now… I'm going to have to clean up the evidence."

"What?" Hikaru cried. But then, realization burst through his veins as he watched the gun turn and point at his little brother. "No! Please no!" Hikaru screamed just as the gun went off.

Time slowed as the bullet hit Kaoru, causing him to convulse at impact. Blood splattered. "Kaoru!" Hikaru screamed.

The kidnapper raised his gun again as the Kyoya's officers broke into a run, ready to shoot the attacker. But he was faster. He held the gun to his own head and pulled the trigger. Hikaru watched, horrified, as blood burst from the man's head and he fell to the ground, dead.

Hikaru raced to Kaoru's side in an instantly as blood poured from the wound in Kaoru's chest; Hikaru was numb. "No, no! Kaoru! Don't leave me, please!"

In the distance Hikaru heard other shouts. People were pulling at his arms and yelling in his ear. But he heard nothing, saw nothing, but the sight of his little brother bleeding from the chest.

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><p><strong>I feel so breathless after writing that. I seriously wrote this chapter in a mad whirlwind; like I didn't even hear my dad talking to me while I was typing. Please do tell me what you think and your predictions or vent. What ever works for you. Anyway, I would like to inform you that my spring break has begun this weekend so I am unsure to how fast updates will come this week- I am going up north for a few days, then to my parents' house, and also my brother and his wife had a baby yesterday, so I will visit him! My nephew's name is Jackson! Cute right? But I will try to update just as often as I usually do.<strong>


	25. Chapter 25

Everything after that was a blur. Hikaru remembered the blue and red lights of the ambulance, the rushing of the people around him. He remembered how he had screamed for his little brother when he was wrenched away from him to be taken to the hospital. He remembered Kaoru's lifeless body.

And now here he sat, sitting in this damned waiting room in a classic, cliché display of grief. He leaned forward in his gray chair with elbows rested on his knees. His hands clenched together till they were white and pressed to his worried lips. He tapped his foot rapidly; it was the only thing keeping him from leaping up.

To top it off, his face was scrunched up in a dark frown, biting his lip. His eye twitched as the host club entered the small, quiet room and he tapped a little faster. The members swarmed around him, sitting in a huddle, silently comforting the Hitachiin.

Hikaru sighed, wrapping his hands into his soft orange hair and bowing his head to avoid any of the others' eyes. He wasn't crying; he wouldn't, not until he heard the doctor's final words.

"Hikaru… about Kaoru," Haruhi began from her seat to his right.

"He's in surgery," Hikaru choked out. He let the silence drop over the group; he knew if he tried to talk any more, the tears would escape.

"So he's okay?" Honey spoke up. His words made the whole group tense.

Hikaru looked up, blinking rapidly. "I don't… I don't know," Hikaru sniffed, still holding his tears back. "He… he flat-lined two times before surgery…" He trailed off as the hot pressure built in his eyes.

Silence consumed the group once again and Hikaru began to wander in his thoughts. Surgery was the only thing that could save Kaoru now, he had been told. And even so, there was a low percentage that he would survive. Hikaru sniffed again and wiped at his runny nose.

"Hikaru!" a woman cried running into the room.

At the sight of her, Hikaru jumped to his feet and ran over, "Mom!" They fell into a hug. Hikaru felt warm and safe buried in his mother's embrace. But it didn't feel completely right, not without Kaoru. Suddenly, without warning, Hikaru's tears burst over and he found himself sobbing into his mother's shoulder and clutching at her dress.

"Shhh," she hushed as she stroked his hair. "Kaoru will pull through this. He's stronger than any of us." But Hikaru heard the tremble in her voice and saw her silent tears. She was just as unsure as the rest of them.

Eventually, Hikaru pulled out of his mother's grasp and rubbed at his drying tears. And as he stepped back, his amber eyes locked with the eyes of his father. Hikaru froze; he'd never seen his father look so… sad.

Suddenly Hikaru was being snatched into the taller man's arms and held tightly to his chest. Hikaru's eyes widened as he stood with his hands at his side. He really hadn't expected this. "Hikaru," his father mumbled. "I'm so glad you're okay." Warmth spread through Hikaru and he reached up and hugged his father back. It was the first hug they've shared in years. It made Hikaru want to cry again.

"Oh," his mother sobbed as she rushed over and bundled herself into the hug.

Soon after that, they were all seated. The silence was daunting. The minutes ticked by as the surgery progressed; so far it was neither a success nor failure which kept the group hoping.

Hikaru defaulted back into his original position on the chair, tapping his foot steadily in time with his rapid heart. He glanced at the clock in intervals and he watched the clock approach eight P.M.

A memory rose up from the endless waiting and Hikaru was consumed by it.

_"Hika, is this safe?" Kaoru called from behind him, his eyebrows furrowed._

_ "You are such a girl," Hikaru teased, leaning against the railing at the top of the stairs. They were about nine, an age full of mischief._

_ Kaoru scowled in defiance. "Am not! I just don't want to get hurt is all."_

_ "You won't," Hikaru replied with a grin. "Besides, it's fun. Just do exactly what I do and you can't get hurt." He playfully knocked his little brother in the arm, earning a small smile._

_ "Okay," Kaoru laughed. "Let's do it."_

_ Hikaru nodded and turned to the railing. It wound down to the bottom of the stairs and ended without a stopper. "Okay, Kaoru, don't forget to jump at the end because if you just let yourself fly off, you'll get hurt." Hikaru checked for Kaoru's nod over his shoulder to make sure he understood._

_ Hikaru turned back and pulled himself up onto the railing so that he sat facing up towards Kaoru at the top of the stairs. He smiled and yelled, "Here goes nothing!" And he let himself go, slipping and sliding all the way down as he laughed. Kaoru's laughter rose up to match his. Hikaru jumped at the end, tumbling and landing in a rush of speed._

_ He stood, "That was so fun! Your turn Kaoru!"_

_ "Get out of the way then, stupid!" Kaoru yelled, pointing at Hikaru who was standing at the end of the railing._

_ Hikaru laughed and jumped out of the way as Kaoru climbed the railing. "Here I go!" he called. And Hikaru watched his little brother launch himself down the rail, the same way as Hikaru, and Kaoru jumped at the end, just like Hikaru, but something went wrong._

_ When Kaoru landed he didn't hop up, he just laid there and moaned. "Kaoru?" Hikaru asked, approaching the fallen figure but stopped dead. His little brother was clutching at his foot… which was bent a funny direction._

_ Hikaru immediately ran off to find someone to help, promising himself to never again to allow Kaoru to be hurt again._

Dammit. Why did Hikaru have to think of that now of all times? He gritted his teeth and bowed his head as the tears formed again. He realized that he had broken that promise and it hurt.

A door opened from the left and Hikaru flew to his feet in instant. His parents joined him as they met the doctor halfway from the door. The host club members watched anxiously from their seats.

Hikaru fiddled with his torn sleeve that was stained with his brother's blood as he watched the doctor leaf through the papers on his clipboard. His father placed a strong, steady hand on Hikaru's shoulder and squeezed once while his mother wrapper herself around his arm.

The doctor was wearing green scrubs with a mask pulled down around his neck. He had his hair pulled back into a surgery hat. He looked up at the Hitachiin trio with his dark brown eyes. "Kaoru's relatives?" he asked, grazing his eyes calmly over the three of them.

Hikaru's heart pumped faster as his mother nodded. "That's us."

The doctor glanced down at his clipboard one last time before striking a small smile. Hikaru's heart skipped a beat. "Kaoru's surgery has been successful," he explained.

"What?" his mother asked dumbfounded.

"Your son is going to be okay. All he needs is a little recovery and some stitches," the doctor full out grinned now, watching the shock and excitement cross over the face of everyone in the room.

Hikaru let out a laugh of a relief as his eyes spilled with tears. "He going to be okay," he sputtered. "Kao is going to be okay." His knees went weak and he let himself drop to the floor in disbelief, tears pouring from his eyes. "My brother is going to be okay!" he cried.

His mother crouched down and pulled her oldest son into a deep hug, crying with him. Behind them, the host club looked on with warm smiles and tears while Hikaru's father looked at the ceiling, blinking away tears with his hands behind his head.

Hikaru breathed out in relief. "Kaoru is so going to get it from me," he joked through his sobs. The others smiled in reply.

* * *

><p><strong>Yay, Kaoru, for pulling through! ^^ And also, just so you know, I will soon be starting my new fanfic because this one is close to its end. Exciting right? Well anyway, hoped you enjoyed the chap!<strong>

**ALSO! Please go to my profile to vote on the poll I have for this story. I am having a little trouble deciding whether to add something in or not. I would really appreciate it.**


	26. Chapter 26

"Ah!"

Kaoru woke with a start, breathing heavily. Oh God, oh God, oh, God. He tried to jolt up to a sitting position but gasped when pain flooded through his chest. He looked down, seeing the medical gown and peeked underneath it. There was a thick bandage wrapped across his chest.

"Oh God," Kaoru said out loud. He released the gown and dropped his head back into the pillow as his eyes darted around the room.

A heart monitor nearby beeped at a swift tempo. The lights were dim, shining down at the maroon walls in a pleasant glow; there were flowers set out on a nearby side table. And it was quiet. Kaoru didn't like it one bit; the quiet could only mean something bad.

"Where the hell am I?" he hissed through a flash of pain as he attempted to move his arm. His wrist throbbed. Glancing at it he saw another thick bandage.

They must have something horrible planned for him. This room may look happy, but it would not convince Kaoru. No, he was smarter than that.

He glanced around the room again, looking for something to use as a weapon or maybe a way to escape. Nothing at all. Damn.

Kaoru grimaced, looking at his hands and then he noticed… the tubes, the chords. "They're trying to poison me," he whispered, lifting the tube hooked into his wrist. His eyes trailed the fluid-filled tube up to the bag hanging from a hook near his bed. "No way in hell," he muttered.

He reached down and tugged. The tube broke free of his skin and he shoved it away from the bed. Kaoru turned on the other tubes and tugged them away just as easily when suddenly the beeping monitor dropped into a loud flat-line.

"Shit!" Kaoru spat, staring at the machine that screamed the hideous noise. He clapped his hands over his ears to block out the noise; his breathing came faster. He knew he was caught. Kaoru shifted his muscles, attempting to roll out of bed but his breathing hitched in a tight jab of pain.

He groaned, rolling back. It hurt so much, so much. Why couldn't he die?

The door flung open, taking Kaoru by surprise. He flinched away from the man and woman that entered the room; both were dressed in blue.

"I'll be good, I'll be good," Kaoru cried, tears nagging at his lids. "I promise." He moved his hands from his ears to cover his eyes.

"Sshhh, you're fine Kaoru," the woman cooed over the sharp wail of the monitor. "You're okay now."

Kaoru frowned beneath his fingers when no hits were thrown. Shakily, he peeked through his fingers at the lady. She was smiling sweetly. "What?" Kaoru asked timidly through trembling lips.

"You're okay now," she repeated. The nurse reached out to touch his shoulder when Kaoru flinched away. She froze before putting her hand down, frowning slightly.

"Kaoru?" the male doctor said to catch the young red-head's attention.

Kaoru's fingers slid down his face but held them under his chin as he watched the man. The monitor's noise cut off as the doctor pushed some buttons. He turned to Kaoru and smiled. The smile almost scared Kaoru, but he held himself still.

"Hello, my name is Dr. Uzumo. I am here to help," he watched Kaoru cautiously.

"Are-are you going to hurt me?" Kaoru asked, lowering his eyes.

"No," Uzumo replied firmly. Kaoru's eyes flew back up at him. "Kaoru, I am here to make you feel better, okay?"

Kaoru stared. Could he be telling the truth? Slowly, he nodded. "Okay."

Uzumo smiled. "All right then. But Kaoru, we do need to hook these tubes back up to you. Is that okay? They will help your pain."

Kaoru frowned, sizing the man up. He didn't seem like the Keeper; Uzumo was a lot nicer to him. But he still didn't trust him… Kaoru tilted his head. Well, he would find out sooner or later whether the guy was lying.

He nodded once and the doctor and the nurse went back to work. Soon, Kaoru was again left to listen to the annoying beeping of the monitor.

"All right, you are all set," Uzumo said.

"Where's Arisa?" Kaoru blurted, glaring. He had almost forgotten about her. How could he forget about her?

Uzumo glanced at the nurse, confused. "Arisa?" he asked, glancing back at the boy.

Kaoru ground his teeth. "Yes, Arisa. A skinny girl, brown hair, gray eyes. Got shot in the back?"

"Is that her name?" the doctor asked, taking a step forward. "Arisa?"

Kaoru only glared, waiting for his answer.

Uzumo sighed. "She is a few rooms down. Her condition is still critical, but she will most likely survive. There will be complications, however, if she does live. That's all I can say."

Kaoru remained silent. He really didn't what to think. The beeping grew faster on the monitor and he glanced up at it in panic.

"Blood pressure increasing," the nurse stated automatically.

Dr. Uzumo replied while nodding, "Maybe seeing some familiar faces will calm him down."

The nurse left immediately and the doctor turned back to him. "I hear it's been a while since you've seen you family."

"Family?" Kaoru questioned.

"You must be really excited for the reunion with your twin."

"Twin?" Kaoru asked, bewildered.

"Your brother was going crazy when he heard you were okay," the doctor chuckled.

"Brother?" Kaoru's voice had raised an octave.

"Kaoru!" A voice cried as the door slammed open. A red-head kid burst in to the room followed by two adults. He was ginning widely.

Kaoru's breathing sped. Who were these people? The urge to escape flooded his body.

"Kaoru, you're okay!" The noisy kid yelled as he crossed the room.

Kaoru's eyes widened as the boy reached for him and he lurched away with a whimper. All he could stare at were the kid's hands. There was blood under the fingernails and on his sleeves.

"Kaoru?" the kid asked.

"What do you want from me?" Kaoru moaned, scrunching his eyes closed and covering his face with his hands again.

"Wha-? Kaoru, it's me. It's Hikaru, your brother."

Kaoru began to sob. He was so, so confused. Who were these people? Why couldn't anyone leave him alone?

And then a hand touched his shoulder. He inhaled sharply and his eyes flew open. He began screaming. Kaoru was so scared.

* * *

><p><strong>OH THANK YOU to everyone who voted on my poll. It really helped. Because of the majority on the poll, I will be adding in some of Kaoru's struggle. But I will not go overboard. Also, I am very excited about "Finding Kaoru" that I started yesterday. Check out my profile to read it! So I have a few chapters planned for this story that should satisfy all (I hope). I like it anyway. And this chapter leads right into that. So enjoy! Thanks.<strong>

**For clarification: This story IS still going, I'm just close to the end. ALSO, "Lost Without You" and "Finding Kaoru" are completely separate stories. Sorry if I confused you. lol**


	27. Chapter 27

**Longest chapter yet, I think. Oh and sorry about the 4 day wait! I was up north on vacation and was kinda busy. Also, today was my last day of spring break so I had to scramble to get last minute homework done. Well, I hope you enjoy what my tired mind popped out. **

* * *

><p>Hikaru stared numbly watching his younger brother thrash against the nurse and doctor as they injected a sedative into his body. His cries of fear echoed in Hikaru's ears until his vision clouded in a flash of red-hot anger. His body shook when brother's voice was cut off as forced sleep took him. Finally he fell limp against his pillow, turning into familiar sleeping Kaoru.<p>

But that Kaoru… the one that was scared of Hikaru, he wasn't the same Kaoru that Hikaru knew and loved.

Once Kaoru was completely out, Dr. Uzumo pulled the Hitachiin family out into the hallway while the nurse attended to him. Hikaru opened his mouth. He had so much he wanted to yell about, to ask, to worry about. But unfortunately, his parents beat him to it.

His mother grabbed Hikaru, hugging him hard against her protectively as she began to rant, "What the hell was that? Why did Kaoru freak out like that? Especially at his brother!" Her face was red with anger and her sharp nails cut into Hikaru's arm.

Uzumo held out a hand to calm her and he rubbed his temple with the other. "Mrs. Hitachiin, please calm down."

"Don't you tell her to calm down!" Hikaru and his dad yelled at the same time. Their eyes shot to the other in surprise.

"Please, I'm not trying to be rude," Uzumo said steadily. "I just need you to focus on what I'm saying."

"Just tell me what's wrong with my little brother," Hikaru growled, gripping his own hand on his mother's elbow. He glared, waiting.

Dr. Uzumo sighed. "We suspected Kaoru to have mental stress from his horrible situation… However, we did not expect it to be this extreme."

"What do you mean?" Mrs. Hitachiin questioned, her anger replaced by worry. She glanced at her husband before returning her gaze to Uzumo.

"It appears that his trauma has caused him to become defensive against any person he does not recognize," the doctor explained somberly, making direct eye contact with Hikaru.

Hikaru stiffened. "Doesn't recognize? But I'm his brother! We've been practically connected at the hip since we were born!"

"Kaoru, your brother," he said slowly, "had lost his memory. We don't know how much has been lost. Only time will tell."

Hikaru shook his head as the information sunk in and he pulled away from his mother's grasp. "No. No. That can't be right. I'm the one person Kaoru _wouldn't _forget." He fought to keep his voice down, his arms beginning to tremble. "We promised each other that we would always be together!"

"I'm sorry," Dr. Uzumo sympathized, "but the only person Kaoru asked for when he woke, was Arisa—our other patient that was shot."

Hikaru lowered his eyes, gritted his teeth and saw red again. "I can't believe this," he muttered. Someone laid a hand on his arm but he knocked it aside and turned to see his mother withdraw her hand worriedly. "Just… just leave me alone," he growled, struggling to not shout. "I need some time alone."

"Wait Hikaru," she cried, stepping forward as he turned, running off. "Hikaru!"

"Let him go," Mr. Hitachiin said softly, pulling her into a hug. She rested her head in his shoulder and began to cry softly for her broken family.

Hikaru hurried through the busy halls, pushing through crowds, racing around gurneys and carts. His heavy breathing wouldn't slow; his heart would only clench harder as he told it to slow. He weaved in and out of the halls, not knowing where he was going. All he wanted was a quiet place to think.

"Are you okay?" a concerned nurse asked him as she stepped in front of his path. She peered closely at his heated, red face.

"Just fine," Hikaru snapped, stepping around her and walked faster.

"Are you sure?" she called, glancing at other nurses to help her. But he ignored the woman; his mind was long gone in other raging thoughts.

Why couldn't he protect Kaoru? Why didn't he just apologize that day? The fight was his fault after all. When would Kaoru remember Hikaru? Would he still be the same afterwards? What could Hikaru do to help? The questions thundered one after the other.

Hikaru looked up from his gripped fists to suddenly find himself back in the critical care ward. Great. Back to where he had started. He grimaced before starting to head back towards Kaoru's room. Maybe he would find be able to see Kaoru again.

He glanced around the hallway, passing the rows of windows looking into the critical patients' rooms. But as he passed one in particular, he backtracked at the sight of familiar brown hair. It was that girl that knew Kaoru.

So slowly, he made his way to the door, peering into the window. The girl looked like she was sleeping… maybe now wasn't the best time to interrogate her. But as the thought crossed Hikaru's mind, the girl's grey eyes shot open, connecting with his.

Hikaru frowned, debating. But finally he pushed the door open, entering the room. It was a maroon room identical to Kaoru's. It irked him.

"Kaoru?" the girl called softly.

"I'm Hikaru," he said flatly, pacing around the room. He didn't sit down beside her; instead he walked to the edge of the room awkwardly, staring at a suddenly interesting painting on the wall.

"Kaoru's brother?" she asked.

Hikaru's head spun in her direction, studying her quizzically. "How do you know that?"

"Well, for one, you told me," she pointed out. She moved a hand to her hand to her side as she silently grimaced in pain.

"Oh," Hikaru said, dropping his gaze to the floor. "I didn't think you would remember. You were pretty out of it when I told you." He flinched at the mental picture of her lying on the ground with blood everywhere.

She laughed somberly. "You don't know how much I can remember when that adrenaline is pumping through my veins." She sighed.

"Uh… I'm sorry?" Hikaru said uncertainly, his lips unused to the words.

She smiled. "Nothing to be sorry about. I'm Arisa by the way."

"Last name?"

"I can't remember," she said sadly.

"You're not the only one who can't remember things," Hikaru mumbled. He walked unconsciously closer to Arisa, dropping down into a chair.

"Kaoru you mean? Well, that's all because he didn't fight it. If he fought it he would remember…" Arisa trailed off dreamily. She shifted her head on the pillow to look at him. "Don't blame him for forgetting. He was forced to… And so was I."

"Forced to?" Hikaru perked up, leaning forward to the girl, frowning. "What do you mean?"

"They were selling us," she whispered, flinching at her own words. She turned her eyes away to stare up at the ceiling. "But to make sure we would always obey them, they would play mind tricks on us to make us forget our past lives. Sometimes they would tell us that our family hated us or maybe that they don't exist… And if we disagree, we were punished." She turned back to look at him, her eyes teary. "I-I don't remember my family," she sniffed. "And it was all because I gave in because I didn't want to be hurt anymore. A-a-and I'll never see them again." The tears spilled over.

Hikaru stared, bewildered, not knowing what to do. So he just looked away silently.

She sniffed again, wiping her tears away. "Sorry Hikaru," she said softly, "but that must be wrong with Kaoru."

"But he even flinched away from me! It was like he thought I was going to hurt him! I would never do that."

Arisa frowned, blinking away the tears. "Well… maybe that's because he was treated more severely than the others. I think… I think it was because they were selling us so closely after he was captured. And maybe, he never got over the initial shock of getting branded."

Hikaru froze. This was something he didn't want to hear. "Branded?"

She looked away, tearing up again. "They burn... they burn a symbol into our backs."

"What? What do they look like? Show me yours!" Hikaru demanded, scooting his chair closer to the girl.

She shook her head, sniffling. "I can't." She noticed his angry expression as he glared down at her. "No… I mean I can't because I can't turn myself. I'm paralyzed from the bullet wound down," she said softly, pointing at herself.

Silence filled the room. Neither spoke. Neither looked up.

Hikaru stood. "Thanks… for telling me all of this." He looked down at her bowed head, noticing the trembling of her shoulders. "And I will help find your family."

Her head flew up, her eyes wide in surprise. "You will?"

"Yeah," he replied, managing a small smile. And then he made his way to the door, raising a hand in a goodbye.

Hikaru hadn't been able to save his brother from this mess… but he would fix it. Fix everything.


	28. Chapter 28

**Tuesday the 9th**

It was the next day and Hikaru was determined to begin his plans for setting everything the way it should be. He raced his way to school early- a half an hour early, was he out of his mind?

Although his eyes were drooping as he walked the quiet, vacant halls, he wore a smile. He rounded the corner and came to the abandoned music room, the one used for the Host Club. Swiftly, he opened the door and slipped inside; knowing Kyoya would be there early.

Kyoya was sitting at his desk near the door, tapping his pencil against the rim of his glasses while staring at the pile of paperwork on his desk. How Kyoya even had that much work to do, Hikaru would never know. His lips were pressed in a thin line as his eyebrow twitched annoyance while a certain someone blabbed on and on about who-knows-what.

Tamaki was leaning casually against the edge of Kyoya's desk with head thrown back, eyes closed as he talked. He had his arms crossed over his perfectly pressed blazer.

When Hikaru entered the room, both looked up in surprise. Kyoya straightened his glasses. "Why are you here Hikaru? I assumed you would be at the hospital for the rest of the week."

Hikaru looked away, tugging on his the right sleeve of his blazer. "Well, actually… they aren't allowing Kaoru to see anyone for a while he goes through recovery and therapy. The next time I get to see him is the twenty-third of this month… So about two weeks." Hikaru grimaced. "It will be good for him."

Tamaki jumped off the desk, paced up to the young red-head and threw him to a tight hug. No words were exchanged; the hug was enough. When Tamaki pulled away, Hikaru smiled sheepishly at the older blonde who smiled brightly back.

"Sorry to interrupt, but what exactly are you doing here?" Kyoya inquired from his seat, resting his head heavily on his hand, regarding the Hitachiin with a bored expression.

"Well, I need help finding some people," Hikaru said, walking over to the brooding boy and slumping into a chair nearby.

"You've been asking a lot of me lately," Kyoya said with knowing smile.

"Shut up, I know!" Hikaru snapped. He turned his head to glare at the older boy.

Tamaki leaned in between the two, oblivious to their exchange. "Who are you trying to find?"

Hikaru turned his gaze away from Kyoya. It irritated him that he owed Kyoya so much already, but he knew that it would be all worth it later. He tilted his head at Tamaki. "Arisa's family—it's really important," he said, glancing between the two.

"Well, that shouldn't be too hard," Kyoya responded immediately.

"Easier than finding Kaoru? Because it sure as hell better be; I don't think I could handle another round of all that waiting."

"No, it should be easy if the family is already looking for her. Or, if not, DNA can tell a lot about a person." Kyoya set down his pen, thinking.

Hikaru nodded, accepting Kyoya's words. He stood. "Maybe I should get my things ready for class." Hikaru didn't actually want to go to class, but he needed a little time to himself.

"Actually, one more thing Hikaru," Kyoya called before Hikaru could walk away. Tamaki went back to his original position and leaned against Kyoya's desk.

"What is it?" Hikaru asked slowly.

"My police force has investigated further on the child-traffickers… we have tracked down one other accomplice. She is now in jail with the one that took Kaoru. We freed about six kids. We are just looking for the last one and after that, we are placing the rest in the Ouran Police's jurisdiction."

Hikaru's eyes widened. "You did all of that in 24 hours?"

"Don't doubt the Ootari name," Kyoya said evenly, picking up his pen again.

Hikaru was speechless. So he decided now was the perfect time to walk away.

* * *

><p>Kaoru rubbed his fingers together nervously as he sat up painfully in his bed. He flinched as his chest bent against the wound but disregarded it; he's been through worse. Besides, according to the doctors in this dreadful place, the wound wasn't so bad. The bullet had hit his right side and bounced off a rib, cracking it but not doing too much damage. The guy must've had a week gun, or had poor aim, is how Kaoru reasoned it.<p>

No, nothing about these wounds bothered him. The only things that did bother him were the nightmares, the memory loss, the way he jumped at the slightest noise.

He glanced down and found his arms shaking in fear. Kaoru crossed them, forcing them to be still, as he glanced at the heart monitor that was picking up in pace. A shadow passed over the corner of Kaoru's eyes. He spun, breathing hard, but found nothing. It was just an open chair.

"Oh, God," Kaoru moaned to himself, scrunching his eyes shut.

The door opened and Kaoru jumped with a yelp. He opened his eyes slowly, but breathed out in relief at the sight of Dr. Uzumo. But nonetheless, he tightened his grip on his arms. Kaoru still wasn't sure who to trust, who to believe.

"Hello Kaoru," the doctor called as he entered the room with his chart. He glanced up, meeting Kaoru's eyes with a smile. "You really should let yourself relax." He gestured pointedly at Kaoru's still shaking arms.

"Y-yeah," Kaoru said vaguely, clutching his arms to his chest a little harder.

The doctor crossed the room and started checking the monitor and other things that Kaoru didn't recognize. Kaoru dug his nails into his arms and glanced up at the ceiling, counting the seconds. Having Uzumo so near him was so nerve-wracking.

"Kaoru?"

"YES!" Kaoru all but shouted, startled.

Dr. Uzumo smiled gently. Kaoru's face heated in embarrassment but he remained silent. Uzumo straightened and explained, "Tomorrow, we will be starting a… little therapy session."

"I don't need therapy."

"Do you have nightmares, or perhaps unusual anxiety or fear? Or maybe even hallucinations?"

Kaoru looked away, defeated. He had all of the above.

"Good, we understand each other," Uzumo said not waiting for an answer. "Well, I'm all done here. A nurse will be by shortly with dinner."

After Uzumo left the room, Kaoru found himself more on edge than ever. He breathed deeply, attempting to calm himself. And it worked. That is, until the shadows began to move again on the edge of his vision. His heart picked up in fear. Quickly, he shoved himself back down on the bed, pulling the covers over his head and squeezed his eyes shut.

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><p><strong>I don't know what to write here today... so yeah.<strong>


	29. Chapter 29

**Saturday the 13****th**

Hikaru shifted in his bed when the alarm went off. He groaned, burrowing deeper into his sheets. "Kaoru, the alarm," he mumbled. The alarm continued to scream horrendously. "Kaoru," he prompted.

Getting no response, Hikaru popped his head out from under the blankets and peered over at Kaoru's bed. "Oh, right," he said numbly with his eyes set on the disturbingly neat bed parallel to his own. He had forgotten that Kaoru was still in the hospital. What a disappointment.

Grudgingly, he dragged himself out of bed, smacking the alarm violently. He readied himself quickly for his busy Saturday and was down the stairs in an instant.

Hikaru was almost at the door when he heard a sweet voice calling, "Hikaru, aren't you going to have breakfast?"

Hikaru plastered on a smile and turned to his mother that was entering the foyer in his direction. She had that worried, panicked look on her face that she wore every time Hikaru left the house these days. "No mom. I'm just going to hang out with some friends for a little while."

She smiled weakly. "At least have a piece of toast," she said quietly, holding out a buttered piece that Hikaru didn't notice before.

"Sure," Hikaru said just to appease her. He had never really liked to eat breakfast. That was more of Kaoru's type of thing. But nonetheless, he took the toast and took a hearty bite. "Thanks mom. I will be back in a few hours." He turned and slipped out the front door before she could say another word.

Hikaru reached his destination a little while later: the hospital. He walked purposely inside; he was on a mission. Scaling through the long and busy hallways, he made it to the room he wanted.

He knocked at the door twice and entered, not waiting for an answer.

"What are you doing here?" Arisa said immediately as he entered the room.

Hikaru smirked. "What? Can't a friend visit?"

"You and I are friends?" She questioned in disbelief, waving a finger between the two of them.

He shrugged. "Any friends of Kaoru are friends of mine." He crossed the room and tossed himself into the nearest chair.

Arisa smiled in amusement. "I wonder how he is," she voiced quietly.

Hikaru sighed. "I don't know," he honestly said. "My parents won't tell me anything about his progress. But I suppose no news is good news, right?" He chuckled softly.

"They are letting me see him in a few days," Arisa blurted. She looked away quickly, surprised at her own outburst.

Hikaru's smile faltered. Arisa gets to see Kaoru? Jealousy bit at his chest. "Why?"

"To help with his therapy," she said, rubbing her lower lip with unconscious fingers. "They told me it would be a good idea for him to see someone he knows."

Hikaru flinched. "Are you sure you are well enough to see him?"

"I'm just paralyzed, Hikaru, I'm not dying," she snapped, tightening her eyes. She sighed and forced her shoulders to relax. "No… sorry. I'm just a little bitter about everything."

"I see that," he huffed, looking away. "Well, when you do see him, will you give him something for me? Maybe it will help him remember."

"Sure," she said with a nod. Arisa watched as Hikaru struggled to dig something out of his pocket. After a moment he pulled out a small folded photograph and handed it to the teenage girl.

Her eyed widened as she took it in her hands and unfolded it. The photograph was worn with thick creases and it held two small red-headed boys, sitting together in a poorly constructed tree house. Arisa looked up at Hikaru's words, "It was Kaoru's favorite of us."

Arisa refolded the picture and set in on the bedside table. "Don't worry, Hikaru, he'll remember you soon. I know it."

Hikaru smiled sadly.

* * *

><p>Kaoru shifted uncomfortably in his bed. The therapist… Kaoru forgot his name. The therapist was coming again today. It unnerved the red-head.<p>

Even though the man had been nice to him and always smiled, Kaoru was still wary. Everything about the guy screamed for Kaoru to distrust him.

Kaoru pulled his shaking arms to his chest and brought his legs up against him as he waited. The wait was the worst part. He never knew when to expect the suspicious man.

The door opened. Silently, Kaoru congratulated himself for not jumping this time. He had been practicing sitting still…

"Hello Kaoru!" the guy called enthusiastically.

Kaoru squinted at him. The man was definitely up to something. The black-haired man rounded the bed to the chairs, stroking his beard. His lab coat swished at his sides. Kaoru glanced at his name tag. His name was Dr. Choi. Kaoru worked his jaw; he was sure it was a fake name.

Choi paused at one of the chairs. "Mind if I sit?" he inquired.

Kaoru stared, refusing to break eye contact, but said nothing.

"I'll take that as a yes." He sat gingerly into nearest chair. "How are you doing today, Kaoru?"

"Fine."

Choi nodded as if this was important information. Kaoru's blood boiled. Wasn't this the opposite of what a therapist was supposed to do? Kaoru's right eye twitched. Yes, this guy definitely had to be a fake.

"Kaoru, can I ask you a question?"

"You're the therapist. Do what you want," Kaoru said annoyed.

Choi laughed. When he composed himself he continued, "Can you tell me anything you remember about your family? Maybe about your brother?"

"What brother?" Kaoru asked angrily. "Everyone keeps talking about this supposed brother but why doesn't anyone ever tell me who he is?"

"Well," Dr. Choi said with a tilt of his head, "we want you to regain your previous memories instead of creating artificial memories,"

Kaoru gritted his teeth, flexing his fingers. This guy was full of crap.

"Now, Kaoru, what can you tell me about what happened to you? How did you get the scars on your back?"

"How did you know about that?" Kaoru spat, tensing. The shadows were back; the lined his vision, creeping behind the therapist.

Kaoru didn't hear the therapist's reply. All he saw were the shadows; the shadows that haunted his dreams; the shadows that taunted him while he was awake.

'No one wants you,' a voice drifted up from his memory.

'You are a piece of shit.'

'Your family abandoned you.'

Kaoru squeezed his eyes shut, breathing hard, and covered his ears with his hands. "STOP! Shut up, shut up, shut up!" he screamed.

"Kaoru!" the therapist cried. He reached forward and grabbed Kaoru right arm.

That's when Kaoru snapped. His eyes widened but were empty. Turning on Choi, he launched himself at him, knocking the tubes and wiring from his skin in a loud crash. The monitor slammed to the side as it rose in a loud dead-line.

Kaoru roared and his eyes were wild. He wrapped his hands around the thick neck of Choi and squeezed. "Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!" Kaoru cried, trembling as he squeezed harder. "DIE! Then you can't hurt me anymore." Tears streamed from his face as he glared into every face that was involved in his kidnapping.

The man clawed at his hands. Kaoru felt pain in his hands where Choi's hands broke skin. He huffed angrily, holding on tighter. He smiled in satisfaction as he watched the man's face turn purple.

But suddenly the shadows cleared and he found himself holding his therapist in his hands instead of his hallucinated captors. Kaoru let go in shock, heaving in sickness. "Oh God," he mumbled, scooting back from Dr. Choi as he gasped for air.

Kaoru backed into a corner and curled up, covering his face. "I'm sorry," he cried in his strangled sobs. He repeated those two words over and over, hoping they would be the words that kept the shadows away.

* * *

><p><strong>Ahh, the poor little guy. Will things get better or worse for our dear Kaoru? *shifty eyes* And guess what? I already have another fan fic in mind. But I will definitely hold off on the idea until this is finished.<strong>


	30. Chapter 30

**Saturday the 20****th**

Kaoru stretched his neck with a sharp tilt of his head. He pulled himself straight up in bed and crossed his legs. His anxiousness came from his therapy session today.

Ever since that horrid day when he had attacked Choi, he had felt horrible. He supposed that he apologized to Dr. Choi at least five times per therapy session… But for some reason, the old guy kept telling Kaoru that it was fine; don't worry about it. But how could it be okay? He was five seconds from murdering the old man, for God's sake.

Kaoru threw his hands in the air to his inner dialogue. Choi was a puzzling one. But what was more, Choi had promised a surprise for today's session.

A knock at the door brought Kaoru's attention away from his stare at the maroon walls. "Come in," Kaoru called, straightening on the bed.

Dr. Choi rolled the door open cautiously and stepped inside. He closed the door and then turned with a bright smile. "Hello Kaoru, how are you today?"

Kaoru found himself smiling back. He immediately tried to stow the smile away, but his smile broke through a second time.

Choi chuckled. "Well, look that, an actual smile. That's two days in a row. What's got you in such high spirits lately?" Choi shoved his hands into his pockets and paced around the side of the bed.

Kaoru shrugged. "I've been working on it."

"Working on what?" Choi inquired, plopping down in his usual chair.

Kaoru bit his lip but forced his eyes to remain on the doctor. They twitched at the effort. "Working on keeping the shadows away," Kaoru said quietly. This wasn't the first time Kaoru had talked about his shadows… In fact, he had told Choi all about it the day after their incident. Kaoru had spilt it all, everything that had happened and was happening to him. There had been a lot of tears.

Kaoru shuddered. "I just don't want to attack people without realizing it again. I don't want to hurt you like I did before. I-I-I don't…" He cut himself off, breathing in shakily, lost in the memory.

"Kaoru." Choi snapped Kaoru from his thoughts once again. "It really is okay." A smile graced Choi's wrinkled features beneath his black beard. "It's all in the past. You'll be okay. We'll work together on this."

Kaoru nodded slowly. A small smile reformed on his lips. "You are the only person I know that would forgive me for something like that."

"Well it wasn't exactly your fault."

Kaoru opened his mouth to disagree when Choi held out a hand to stop him. "No, no. Let's not talk about this anymore. In fact, let's get to that surprise I was talking about."

"Okay," Kaoru said, trying to hide his excitement. Warmth spread across his chest; it's been weeks since he had felt this good.

"Hold on," Choi said. He promptly left the room, leaving Kaoru in his own silence. Kaoru immediately began humming to himself tunelessly. It was something to keep himself from looking directly at the shadows floating at the corner of his eyes.

"Here we are," Choi called backing into the room, pulling a wheel chair into the room.

Kaoru frowned. "Who…?"

Choi turned the wheel chair around and Kaoru was caught in familiar gray eyes. "Arisa!" he cried, jolting forward in his bed. He almost ripped the wires from his arm but then restrained himself, remembering how fussy the nurses were last time.

"What are you doing here, Arisa? I thought you were still recovering."

She smiled brilliantly. "It turns out being paralyzed doesn't require a lot of recovery."

Kaoru laughed; he desperately wanted to give the girl a hug.

"Shall I give the two of you sometime alone? Some time to catch up? I'll just sit outside the door with the door wide open. So no funny business," Choi said, shaking a finger at the two.

Arisa held a hand to her heart. "I'm offended. To think someone like me would do something to Kaoru." Kaoru laughed with her.

Choi only shook his head, leaving the room. Arisa turned to Kaoru, "how are you holding up?"

Kaoru shrugged. "Just awesome. There's nothing I can't handle."

"I heard you had a little trouble a couple days back," she said quietly.

Kaoru froze, turning to glare at her. Shadows danced behind her head; Kaoru breathed to steady him. "Where did you hear about that?" he asked evenly.

"Your brother," she said simply, shifting in her wheel chair. She placed her dainty fingers upon the rims of the wheels and pushed herself close to the bed on Kaoru's left side.

"My brother," Kaoru repeated blankly. There was a silence between them.

Arisa twirled a lock of hair, glancing around the room. "You know, your brother is a really nice guy. He's probably nicer than you," she said, smiling. A chuckle from outside the room caused both to freeze. "Was that…"

"Probably Choi," Kaoru finished for her, not exactly sure if it was the truth. He glanced back to his friend. "What do you mean he's nice?"

Arisa grinned wider. "He's helping me find my family," she gushed. "I may actually see them soon!"

"That's great, Arisa!" Kaoru cried.

"And that's not all," she interrupted Kaoru. "He caught the Keeper and some of the other kidnappers. A lot of kids were set free."

Kaoru's eyes widened dramatically. "He's a saint! How did I ever live with the kid?"

"Do you want to see a picture? He gave me one to show you."

Kaoru nodded swiftly. "Yeah, definitely."

Arisa pulled a folded photograph that was wedged into the seat of her wheelchair. Kaoru leaned forward and took the folded square gingerly in his hands. He folded back the creases until it revealed the full picture.

Kaoru froze. There were two little boys, completely identical, sitting at the top of a tree house. The colors of the tree were vibrant shades of green; the wood of the make-shift house was rickety and painted sloppily in spots in royal blue. But all Kaoru could stare at were the two red-haired boys with identical smiles, identical clothes, and identical poses. The only difference was the part of their hair. Kaoru fingered his own orange locks unconsciously, debating which of the two his brother was.

"He's that one," he said automatically to himself, pointing to the one on the right. He stopped, astonished.

"How did you know that?" Arisa leaned forward. "He told me to point out who was who."

Kaoru frowned, staring at the golden eyes that shone a little more mischievous than his own. "I just did."

* * *

><p>Hikaru forced back a laugh as he leaned against the white hospital wall. A saint? Really? Hikaru was the farthest thing from a saint. But it felt good that Kaoru was even talking about him now.<p>

"He's really important to you, isn't he?"

Hikaru looked up at Kaoru's therapist who stood beside him. "Well, he is my only baby brother," Hikaru replied matter-of-factly.

Choi smiled. "He's getting better, you know. He'll remember everything in no time. But you would know that, wouldn't you? You've been standing outside this door every day."

Hikaru half-smiled. "Looks like you caught me."

"He's that one," Kaoru's voice sliced through the silence.

Hikaru quickly leaned over to peek through the open door, careful to not be seen. He watched Arisa lean forward in her chair. "How did you know that? He told me to point out who is who."

"I just did," his little brother replied. A warm happiness spread through Hikaru's veins.

* * *

><p><strong>Hey everyone! It feels like it's been like 50 years since I last updated, but really it's been like 5 days. But I still feel bad. So I believe there are less than 5 chapters left in this story. There is still a catalyst to finish it off, so don't worry- it won't be a boring last few chapters. At least, I hope not.<strong>

**On a side note, a few nights ago I was sleeping and my mind decided to critique my own writing... It made some very valid points that night. O_O**


	31. Chapter 31

**Friday the 23****rd**

Hikaru and Kaoru stared at each other. To Hikaru, he was only staring to see Kaoru's reaction. He really didn't know why Kaoru was staring at him so intensely.

Today was the day the Hitachiin family was taking their youngest member home. Kaoru would continue his therapy sessions with Dr. Choi, of course, but the doctors saw no other need for Kaoru to stay. Hikaru had waited a long time for this.

Kaoru's lips parted and his eyes tightened. Hikaru held his breath as his younger brother raised his pointer finger at him. "So it's true," Kaoru uttered. "We look exactly the same."

Hikaru let out a shaky laugh and mother giggled from behind him. His chest flooded with warmth; Kaoru wasn't afraid of him.

"Of course we are, idiot. We're twins!" Hikaru exclaimed. He reached down and ruffled Kaoru's hair. Surprisingly, Kaoru's face screwed up in a disgruntled frown—the same he used to wear before this all happened.

"Okay, boys," mother called from the door. "Dad's waiting for us in the car." She tapped her fingers on the door frame with a smile on her face.

Kaoru stood from the bed and looked around the room one last time. "Ready, Kao?" Hikaru asked softly.

Kaoru jolted at the name, looking up sharply. "What did you call me?"

"Kao," Hikaru repeated slowly. It was hard to tell how Kaoru would react to anything.

His little brother nodded, looking away, seemingly lost in thought and then walked forward to the door. Hikaru immediately followed him while their mother led the way.

Eventually, as they made their way through the hospital, Kaoru slowed his pace to match Hikaru's, glancing at him hesitantly. "So… we were… uh, I mean _are_ brothers…" Hikaru waited for him to continue. "Are we close?"

Mother laughed from where she walked. She turned her head over her shoulder. "Close? Are you kidding? I could hardly separate the two of you." She continued in her giggles.

Hikaru turned his eyes back on Kaoru who was already looking. "I'm sorry," Kaoru apologized suddenly.

"For what?"

"For not remembering you," he clarified, looking down at the floor.

Hikaru sighed. "No, it's okay. Besides you'll remember soon anyway, according to the doctors."

They returned home soon after. Somehow, Kaoru already seemed comfortable around the three Hitachiins. But mom had explained to Hikaru that this was because she and dad visited him the day before. But that still didn't explain Kaoru's comfort around Hikaru.

The whole ride home had been quiet but Kaoru wasn't fidgeting, which Hikaru took as a good sign.

"Here we are," Hikaru announced, jumping out of the car, followed by a quiet Kaoru.

But when Kaoru saw the house, the silence broke. "Holy, this place is _huge!_" Kaoru cried, his eyes widening.

"Come on, Kaoru, let's go inside," Hikaru urged, grabbing onto the younger's wrist. Hikaru smiled when Kaoru didn't flinch away from his touch. But then again, it was probably because he was too busy gaping at the house.

Hikaru pulled his brother behind him into the house and started his tour. Soon, Hikaru found himself having the most fun he had had in a long time. Just one glance at Kaoru's brilliant smile was enough to make him happy for a lifetime. They went from room to room; Hikaru told Kaoru of incidents that happened in certain places, stories behind a chip in a door and scratches on the marble staircase. And all the while Kaoru's eyes were illuminated with interest of the life he once held.

Finally, the two made it to their shared room. "And here is the best room in the house, our room."

"We share a room?" Kaoru asked, reaching for the doorknob.

"Yup. We have ever since we were born," Hikaru explained.

"Well that's good because I don't think I could be alone with my nightmares, ya know?" Kaoru said with a smile.

Hikaru's own smile faltered as Kaoru entered the room. He had forgotten about the nightmares. But he smiled again; nightmares were something he could protect Kaoru from.

Entering the room, Hikaru watched Kaoru look around until suddenly the younger ran and jumped right onto his own bed on the left. To Hikaru's surprise, Kaoru began pulling the covers aside and messing up the smooth bed.

"What are you doing?" Hikaru chuckled.

"It looked too clean," Kaoru said with his nose scrunched. "Besides, it looked out of place next to your bed."

Hikaru's bed was tucked in, but it was ruffled and poorly done. Hikaru never liked the maids touching his bed; it was just too weird. "How did you know that was your bed?" Hikaru asked.

Kaoru tilted his head. "Is everyone going to ask that whenever I do something I used to?" He collapsed backwards into his pillow and strung an arm over his eyes.

Hikaru went and lay down on his own bed. "Sorry, it was just surprising."

For a long time, the two just stayed like that, enjoying the silence. Kaoru shuffled and turned towards the side table between the two beds. Hikaru watched him pick up the frame that held a recent picture of the twins. Kaoru quickly sighed and set it back down.

"Hikaru, we're not the same anymore," Kaoru mumbled with his face turned away from Hikaru.

Hikaru sat up on his bed, frowning. "What do you mean?"

Kaoru turned his harsh glare on Hikaru. "We don't look the same anymore."

"What do you mean, Kaoru? You're exactly the same."

Kaoru's eyes dropped away. "Not completely." He stood from the bed, turned and tugged his shirt upwards.

Hikaru jumped to his feet. "Kaoru, no," Hikaru cried, splaying out his hands in front of him, realizing what Kaoru meant. "You don't have to show me if you don't want to."

But Kaoru pulled his shirt up over his head to reveal the light pink lines carved all over his back. The lines were puckered in areas where it hadn't healed quite fully. They ran together and crisscrossed in a pentagram with an "X" through it. Hikaru immediately paled and the blood drained from his fingertips despite his quickening heart rate. This was evidence of what had happened. These scars may haunt them both forever. Hikaru heard a sob and Kaoru's shoulders shook just so slightly; Hikaru's big brother instincts kicked in.

He walked forward so that he was standing at Kaoru's side. The tears streamed off of Kaoru's lowered chin and his hair hung in front of his eyes. "Kaoru?"

Kaoru shook his head, pulling his fists up over his eyes.

"Kaoru," Hikaru whispered, stepping forward. "Kaoru, it doesn't matter. _You're_ still the same."

His little brother shook his head, sucking in a shaking breath. Hikaru couldn't take it anymore; he reached forward and pulled Kaoru into his arms. "Everything will be okay, Kao. You're still the same person."

Kaoru relaxed into Hikaru's arms, sobbing into Hikaru's shoulder. "You're still the same," Hikaru whispered.

* * *

><p><strong>Hey everyone! I just wanted to let you know that have also started a third story called "Paper Cranes and Paper Hearts." Check it out if you are interested.<strong>


	32. Chapter 32

"_You're still the same." _Hikaru's words danced through his head long after he had drifted off into sleep. There was something about these words that warmed him; they made him feel more at home in the strange but distantly familiar mansion.

And when Kaoru woke, gasping for air and haunted with images of his nightmares, somehow these words comforted him, calmed him down. God, the nightmares. Kaoru pressed his palms to his eyes. He had seen blood, children, chains, the Keeper… His heart tightened thinking about it again.

"Kaoru?" a soft voice whispered uncertainly through the shadows of the night.

Kaoru removed his palms and tilted his head to see the source of the voice. Hikaru… his brother. He was looking at Kaoru with a worried expression and pulled himself up onto his arms.

Hikaru's gaze was comforting; Kaoru was amazed at how quickly the fear disappeared from his veins. Actually, Kaoru's nightmares were much milder this time. He wondered if this was due to Hikaru's presence.

"Hikaru?" Kaoru replied.

"Did you have a nightmare?" the older twin asked.

Kaoru was startled. "Was I loud or something?"

Hikaru sat up. "No, you didn't make any noise at all. I just felt it; your unease." Hikaru looked away.

Kaoru squinted through the darkness, trying to see the boy's face. "That's weird," he replied bluntly.

"But we've always been able to," Hikaru said vaguely, chuckling to himself.

Kaoru only frowned. He wished he could remember; he wanted to be what he used to be. Suddenly Kaoru felt the overwhelming urge to talk to his twin, to find out the truth behind his past. "You know, they used to tell me you didn't care," Kaoru said smoothly. He didn't let any ounce of emotion into the statement despite his trembling. "I still have nightmares about it," he said quieter, "even though I don't quite remember you."

Hikaru's head snapped up. "What? Are you serious?"

Kaoru flinched away, not understanding what Hikaru meant by that. He held his breath as he watched his older brother struggle out from beneath his blankets. And when he did, he quickly made his way over to Kaoru's side of the room. Cautiously, he sat down next to Kaoru.

"Kao… don't ever think about that again." Kaoru's eyes widened. Was that… were those tears in Hikaru's eyes? "Kao, you are the only brother I've got. You're my best friend. Life just wouldn't be the same without you. Kao, I'm lost without you." Hikaru struggled through a muffled sob and raised an arm to cover his arms.

So, this was his brother. Kaoru couldn't believe he had forgotten someone as important to him as the one in front of him. Kaoru flung himself forward, gathering his brother in a tight hug. "I believe you, I'm sorry. I promise I'll try to remember you. I'll do everything I can to get my memories back."

Hikaru wiped away his tears, pulling out of the hug with a watery smile. "I know Kao."

The next morning… was interesting. Kaoru had awoken to an empty room; it kind of confused and scared him to not know what to expect. So he pulled his blanket from the bed and wrapped it around him and walked out into the hall. After a few minutes of debating which way to go, Kaoru somehow stumbled into the foyer.

He froze, seeing Hikaru fully dressed and surrounded by a group of kids his own age. Fear crept up his spine.

"Kaoru!" Hikaru called lightheartedly. "You're up."

Kaoru didn't reply. He was too busy staring at the group of kids who were staring back. It unnerved him to have so many people's attention.

Hikaru frowned and followed Kaoru's gaze. "Oh, Kaoru, don't worry. These are your friends."

Kaoru gaped at Hikaru incredulously. "I have friends?" he asked, his voice an octave higher than usual. "Why didn't you warn me?"

Hikaru immediately started laughing. But he caught Kaoru's serious face, he forced the laughter down. "Sorry, it just slipped my mind."

"Hey Kaoru!" a small blonde cried, suddenly beside Kaoru.

Kaoru practically jumped of his skin at the sudden appearance.

"Mitsukuni," the tallest of the group called. Without a word, the smaller blonde dropped into a pout and slowly made his way back to the group.

"Uhh, Hikaru? Who are these people?" Kaoru asked, inching closer to his brother.

Hikaru immediately got the idea and came to stand by his brother. "These, little brother, are the great members of the Ouran High School Host Club," he declared with an extravagant wave of his arm.

Kaoru glared. "You're joking."

"No, dear Kao, I am not. In fact, we are a part of this group."

Kaoru's face didn't change. If anything, he only tightened his glare. "You're messing with me."

"And why would I do that?" Hikaru asked with a grin, stringing his arm over his brother's shoulders.

"Because you always do," Kaoru said matter-of-factly. "You're always messing with me."

Hikaru's face changed into one of complete surprise. Kaoru glanced around to see identical expressions on everyone else. Kaoru sighed. "I'm guessing I said something I used to?"

Hikaru's grin reappeared. "Yes, you sure did."

Kaoru rolled his eyes and straightened his hair part. His stomach was rolling with nervousness. "Maybe you should introduce me," Kaoru said quietly.

"Of course he should," a loud voice cried. A tall blonde boy paced forward, running his hands dramatically through his hair. "I am Tamaki Suoh. I am the creator of our sacred club." He turned to Kaoru theatrically. "I am here as your friend and king."

"Did he just get out of the loony bin?" Kaoru asked Hikaru, ignoring Tamaki all together.

"Sometimes I wonder that myself," Hikaru replied, watching Tamaki mope. "Okay, as for the others, over there we have Honey and Mori." He pointed at the two in order.

"Hey Kao!" Honey yelled loudly while Mori only nodded.

"And here we have Haruhi. She may look like a guy, but if you look really close, you will notice she is a girl in disguise." Hikaru nudged Kaoru humorously.

Haruhi put her hands on hips. "Hey, I take offense to that."

"Over there is Kyoya. He's evil," Hikaru said with no further explanation.

"Glad you're back, Kaoru," Kyoya said calmly.

"And you already know Tamaki," Hikaru finished.

Kaoru glanced around the group shyly. "Hey everyone," he said quietly. Immediately, Kaoru was bombarded with smiles and voices talking all at once. But it wasn't as overwhelming as he expected it to be. And soon, Kaoru found himself smiling.

But underneath it all, Kaoru wished for his memories. He wanted to understand the inside jokes, the stories, and these people. Kaoru wanted to be part of their world again. Kaoru just wanted to be… Kaoru.

* * *

><p><strong>So... 3 chapters left. The next chapter- I am so excited for it. I am ready to hear people's reactions. Gah! I'm going to write that one ASAP. So don't worry, you shouldn't have to wait long. Just let me update my other 2 stories first. Thanks my lovely readers.<strong>


	33. Chapter 33

**Heehee. I am very excited for you to read this. I had a lot of fun writing this. PLEASE tell me about you reaction afterwards. I really wanna know how you felt during this chapter.**

* * *

><p><em>Die.<em>

Kaoru gasped as pain rippled down his spine. Slowly, he opened his eyes, panting. He was chained to a wall; the chains cut into his wrist in a familiar twist of discomfort.

Where was he? He gazed through lidded eyes at the room, but it all seemed like a blur, a deep haze. He groaned, shifted from his standing position, and tugged at the chains with all his might. "Oww," he whined when the restraints bit further into his skin.

Sweat poured from his brow. All he wanted was to sit down; he felt too sick to be standing. But he couldn't; he was chained too high up on the wall.

He cried slowly. He didn't know what was going on.

_Die._

"You've been very bad," a dark voice whispered into his ear.

Kaoru froze. That voice… the Keeper. "No," Kaoru whispered. "You're locked up. This is just a dream, just a dream." Kaoru squeezed his eyes shut, begging himself to wake.

"Oh Kaoru," the Keeper whispered, he trailed something sharp across the base of Kaoru's neck threateningly. "This is far from a dream. You've been out for days. This is your reality."

Kaoru shook his head. "No, it can't be."

"But it is," the voice growled.

Kaoru's eyes snapped open as he felt hot, burning heat close to his face. The Keeper was grinning sadistically and he waved a red hot fireplace poker inches from his face. "No!" Kaoru screamed as the poker neared his skin. It was hot, just so hot.

He cringed into himself. "You'll get what you deserve!" The Keeper's voice echoed into him and all he could feel was fire. His flesh was burning.

_DIE!_

Kaoru woke with a start, breathing heavily in his terror. The room was completely black. Kaoru immediately kicked off the comforters; he was engulfed in heat. He could feel himself sweating right through his t-shirt.

He swung his feet over the side of the bed and dropped his head into his hands, struggling to catch his breath. Feeling his wet cheeks, Kaoru wiped away the salty tears. "I'm okay, I'm okay," he whispered to himself in the silence of the bedroom.

Remembering his brother, he glanced over at his sleeping form. Hikaru was still sleeping; his face relaxed against the pillow without any worries. Kaoru was glad he didn't wake him this time.

Kaoru breathed slowly. "Just a dream, Kaoru," he told himself. "It's nothing to worry about."

But then he looked up. Somehow, Kaoru could see the shadows moving in the bleak darkness. So many… There were so many of them. Kaoru began to hyperventilate. He hadn't seen any shadows since the first day he came to the Hitachiin mansion five days ago… but yet here they were.

Kaoru stood shakily. He had to get of the room. He had to… _DIE!_

Kaoru froze against the words invading his head. The voice was back. Kaoru grit his teeth and forced himself to move as quickly as possible out of his shared room, closing the door quietly after him. He ran swiftly down the stairs and out into the backyard, clutching his head.

"Get out of my head," Kaoru growled as the cold winter air hit him. It was snowing; the flakes whipped against his face bitterly. In this air, Kaoru breathed easier.

Slowly, he calmed, breathing in the crisp oxygen of the darkened night. And soon the shadows receded and Kaoru was left to stare across the frozen path that wound into the evergreen hedges. The cold wind brushed across Kaoru's bare arms. He looked down. He had shoes on… When did that happen? But he shrugged. He must have slipped them on before he went outside.

Kaoru turned his eyes upon the path a second time. It seemed to call to him. Something was back there that he needed to see. So he furtively set off in that direction, glancing up at the house for any lights. But there wasn't. He quickened his pace as curiosity overwhelmed him.

* * *

><p>Hikaru woke suddenly with a feeling of unease in the pit of his stomach. It was dark; he pricked his ears. Why couldn't he hear Kaoru breathing?<p>

He snapped his head to Kaoru's bed in a flash. The bed was a destruction of blankets but there was no body. Hikaru gasped and sat upright, completely awake now. "Kaoru?" he whispered into the silent room. He scanned the walls, looking for any sign of his younger brother.

"Shit. Where did you go?"

He pulled the covers aside and stood; his bare feet hit the icy floor, making Hikaru grimace. One last time, Hikaru glanced around the room before leaving. He immediately headed for the kitchen. Perhaps Kaoru needed a glass of water or something.

But when Hikaru reached his destination, everything completely silent; everything, that is, except a small whistling rushing through the back kitchen door. The wind was flowing through the cracked door in a torrent of bitter snow.

Hikaru made his way to the door with his heart pounding. Kaoru didn't… He did. Hikaru found himself staring out the window at the soft footprints in the snow. They looked fresh but lightly dusted from the snowstorm.

"Dammit Kaoru," he muttered, throwing on his shoes. And he raced out into the snow.

* * *

><p>Kaoru followed his instincts blindly into the harsh winds. He clutched his shivering arms as he walked. He walked and walked until…<p>

Kaoru stared at shock in the dim lighting at what loomed directly above him. A tree house. It was the one from his picture. Automatically, Kaoru reached for his pocket where he kept the photo but realized he was wearing his pajama pants, meaning he left it on the night side table before he went to bed.

He bit his lip. Yes, this is where he had led himself to; so there was no stopping now.

Kaoru approached the pieces of wood nailed into the side of the tree and set his frozen hands up on the highest one he could reach. The touch of the cold wood tingled beneath under his fingertips, making the feeling in them go numb. Kaoru set a foot on another step and hoisted himself upwards with a grunt.

_Die._

Kaoru squeezed his eyes shut, gripping the wood harder. Not now. Go away.

He reopened his eyes and pushed himself up farther.

_Die._

Kaoru ground his teeth, feeling the creeping sensation climb up his spine. No, he wasn't going to look at the shadows. He didn't see anything. Focusing on reaching the time, he pushed his way upwards until finally, Kaoru pulled himself onto the flat surface of the tree house.

He stood, panting, but immediately felt dizzy. Kaoru stumbled over to one of the small windows, leaning heavily on the snowy sill, and stared out onto the world. The Hitachiin estate looked beautiful in this snowy night. The snow flurried around the hedge maze and glittered through the light from the mansion. Kaoru paused. Light? There wasn't any when he left the mansion.

Kaoru made his way over to the tree house entrance once again, trailing his fingers along the painted wood walls. He squinted at the house in the distance. But then he turned his eyes on the ground below. A sense of vertigo washed over Kaoru at he looked at the sharp 30 or 40 foot drop.

_Die._

Kaoru flinched, grabbing on to the sides of the doorway.

**Jump.**

Kaoru sucked in a shocked breath. A second voice? There's never been a second voice before!

Slowly, Kaoru turned his head, to glance back into the tree house. He began to shake in his blind fear. There were shadows… swarming the tree house.

_Die. _**Jump.**

Their whispering came louder and faster. Kaoru turned away looking down at the ground again. The wintery earth focused in and out of his eyesight.

DIE!

Kaoru shook at the voice.

**Jump, jump, jump.**

Kaoru's teeth chattered as he tried to focus. Focus, Kaoru, focus

"Kaoru!" a voice called distantly. Kaoru frowned, listening for the voice again.

**Kaoru, jump.**

His breathing sped; his heart rate doubled.

"Kaoru!" the voice called again.

_Kaoru, die!_

He pulled his hands over his ears, confused and scared. He began to sob.

**Kaoru, JUMP!**

His feet shuffled forward automatically until he stood at the exact edge of the tree house. He scrunched his eyes shut, feeling the wind ruffle through his hair. He breathed a shaky breath.

_Kaoru, die. __**JUMP!**_

He teetered on the edge.

"KAORU, NO!"

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><p><strong>Post your reaction! Don't forget!<strong>


	34. Chapter 34

**Okay, so this chapter along with my other stories would have been updated a lot earlier if this didn't happen: Tues- I got a C on my film exam but a 100% A on my film paper. So my teacher gave me a good talking to about how I am not doing my full potential. Blah, blah, blah. And then I found out that my school changed the pre-requisites to one of my classes without telling me... Wed- To make myself feel better I went with my friends to Mongolian Grill... It made me sick. So yeah, don't yell at me, k?**

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><p>Hikaru raced through the evergreen hedge maze, following the footprints in the snow. Something was wrong; he could feel it in his bones. Please let Kaoru be okay…<p>

"Kaoru!" he called. His voice didn't go very far in the density of the snow-filled air. He pushed himself faster and his lungs burned in the cold air.

Hikaru scrunched his eyes against the cruel wind. This situation felt all too familiar. He was almost afraid that this time, he would find Kaoru dead.

"Kaoru!" he cried out desperately. He ducked under the low-hanging branches of a willow tree, still following the tracks in the snow that were starting to disappear.

Where was Kaoru? Was he hurt? Cold? Scared? Hikaru's heart clenched.

He ran into a clearing and immediately knew where he was. The tree house was here. Now that Hikaru thought about it, he hadn't been to the tree house in… months.

Tilting his head upwards and holding his hands to shield his eyes, he stared through the darkened storm at the looming tree before him. His heart dropped. Kaoru was standing at the entrance of the tree house on the edge. His head was tilted in the direction of the ground and his hands were held to his head. Hikaru watched his younger brother slowly sway forward.

"KOARU, NO!" Hikaru hollered as pure horror took him in its clutches.

Kaoru suddenly stopped swaying, frozen to the spot.

Hikaru paced forward so that he was directly below Kaoru. "K-Kaoru, it's me, Hikaru." He waited for a reaction but his brother stayed still.

"Kaoru," he began again, "don't you dare jump. Don't you dare think about dying on me!"

Kaoru tensed, still on the edge of the tree house. If Hikaru didn't do this right… the price would be paid.

Hikaru set his jaw determinedly. "What's wrong Kaoru?" he called. "Is it the shadows?"

Kaoru's eyes snapped open, jolting Hikaru with a glimpse of those identical amber eyes. Slowly, Kaoru pulled his hands from his ears. "H-H-Hikaru?" his soft, scared voice stuttered.

"Yes it's me," Hikaru said calmly, holding his hands out in front of him to catch his brother's attention. "Now, Kaoru, just ignore the shadows and step away from the edge."

Hikaru watched his twin frown, struggling with something in his head. Hikaru frowned. Why was Kaoru acting this way? He thought that Kaoru said he hadn't seen the shadows these last five days. But then he thought back to what Dr. Choi had told him.

_They stood outside Kaoru's hospital room after one of Kaoru's attacks. Hikaru looked inside the door; his little brother was sleeping easy now. The "shadows" were gone. Hikaru sighed in relief._

_ "No one was there," Dr. Choi stated suddenly, leafing through his clipboard._

_ "Huh? What are you talking about?" Hikaru asked, leaning back from the door to look at the therapist._

_ "I've noticed that Kaoru's attacks with the shadows are at their worst when there is no one to comfort him, to help him through it. Lately, I've been present, so he was able to fight off the shadows with confidence." Dr. Choi looked up from his notes to the older Hitachiin twin._

_ "But what about that time… when he attacked you?" Hikaru said quietly._

_ "Ssshhh," Dr. Choi hushed him, holding a finger to his lips. "I told you, we are keeping that under wraps." Dr. Choi straightened up and leaned against the wall. "That only happened because Kaoru didn't know me yet. He had no line of support. Arisa was taken from him. So he probably felt completely alone. And today, it started when no one was in his room."_

_ Hikaru nodded, peeking around the corner again at the sleeping red-head._

_ "So Hikaru…" Hikaru looked up at Dr. Choi. "In the future, you will have to be Kaoru's support. You'll need to help him through this."_

_ Hikaru nodded a second time. "I know I can do it."_

Hikaru came back to reality in horror. He had failed his little brother. Kaoru probably woke up to find shadows… and Hikaru hadn't been there to stop them.

His hands curled into cold fists as he looked back up at his scared and confused brother. "Kaoru!" he shouted. "Focus on my voice. Ignore the shadows. Focus on me."

A flicker of recognition crossed the young Hitachiin's face. "Hikaru, they won't go away. They won't let me step back," Kaoru whined as the freezing tears slipped down his cheeks.

Hikaru's heart almost stopped as Kaoru shifted on the edge. He was too dangerously close to falling. "Kaoru," he said firmly. "Look at me, Kaoru."

Kaoru's eyes found his. His brother looked uncertain and his arms were shaking. "Do exactly what I tell you," Hikaru said slowly. "First, put your hands onto the sides of the door and hold on."

Kaoru stared at him. "Go on," Hikaru commanded. Slowly, Kaoru reached up and grabbed onto the wooden door.

"Good job, Kao," he said assuredly. "Okay, now take one step back from the edge."

Kaoru shook his head vigorously. "Kao, it's just one step. That's all I need. Just take one step," Hikaru said firmly.

Kaoru stood still for a second but then he did as he was told. Hikaru breathed a breath of relief, seeing his brother out of the danger zone. "Okay, Kaoru, just focus on me. Block everything else out."

After a little more coaxing, Kaoru finally relaxed his hold against the door frame. His eyes were brimming with tears. "I'm sorry, Hikaru," he said softly. "I'm so sorry. I should have woken you up when the shadows came."

"It's not your fault Kaoru. It's not." He smiled. "Are the shadows gone now?"

Kaoru nodded his head. "Yeah," he said so quiet that Hikaru had to strain to hear him through the wind.

"Good. Now you come down now so we can warm you up inside," Hikaru replied, gesturing to the ground with a wave.

Kaoru smiled slightly and walked back to the edge to wear the wooden planks were nailed into the tree. Hikaru sighed in relief. They had just avoided a huge disaster there; Hikaru didn't know if he could have lived with himself if Kaoru had fallen.

Hikaru folded his arms against his chest, suddenly cold. He hadn't really noticed his goose bumps while he looked for Kaoru. Rubbing his arms, Hikaru struggled to warm himself.

Hikaru looked back up at the tree house just as Kaoru swung his legs over the edge and grabbed foothold on the planks. But just as Kaoru moved to take a step down, Hikaru watched as Kaoru's slipped on the frozen snowy wood.

Everything slowed as Kaoru's hands flew from the edge of the tree house. His body tilted backwards, tipping off the side of the tree. Hikaru's breathing caught in his throat. And then he was running.

"KAORU!"

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><p>Kaoru felt himself slip over the edge; his numb fingers grasped at nothing. His feet left the safety of the home-made ladder. His heart jumped in rhythm, pumping painfully against his chest. He was falling, falling, falling down the 40-foot drop. Kaoru only had time to gasp; there was no scream, no yelp. There was only the gasp that escaped his lips.<p>

But within that few-seconds drop, Kaoru's life flashed before his eyes. _His whole life._ But it was already too late. He was falling and there was nothing he could do about it.

Kaoru heard his name called from below.

And then Kaoru hit something solid before tumbling into the cold snow. Kaoru's head smacked against the hard ground below the layer of snow, his leg twisted at a weird angle. But he was still conscious. He cried out at the intense pain at the impact.

Kaoru's brain muddled and everything began to blur and darken in the pain of impact. He turned his head just so slightly, looking for Hikaru.

"Hikaru," Kaoru strained, fighting his heavy lids. He was so tired; so, so tired.

Kaoru found Hikaru's face in an instant. But… but…

Kaoru scrunched his eyes shut and howled in misery just as the dark took him over. Blood. Blood in the snow. 'He should have let me die.' Those were Kaoru's last thoughts as he slipped away into dream world.

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><p>The snow howled miserably over the Hitachiin estate. It was dark; it was snowing. It seemed peaceful but it was quite on the contrary.<p>

Two twin boys laid side-by-side below a snow-covered tree house. Their bodies were still. The younger twin lay with a leg twisted. The boy's face was cold and pale.

The younger's left hand was outstretched to the older. But the older twin was worse off. He lay deep in the snow. His head was bleeding heavily. The blood covered the snow, pooled, and trickled.

Both were lifeless…

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><p><strong>You: Miss Light Bright, are they... dead? Me: *smirks* Wait till the next chap. *laughs cruelly*<strong>


	35. Chapter 35

**A few days later**

Kaoru woke, startled by loud, screaming alarms and a long dead line. It overwhelmed him and wracked him with fear. He sat immediately with a pounding in his head as soon as he remembered what had happened.

But no one noticed the younger Hitachiin's awakening. The staff was all gathered around Hikaru. Bile rose in Kaoru's throat as he realized what was happening.

"CLEAR!" A doctor cried.

They forced down the defibrillator against Hikaru's chest. His body convulsed but yet, a pulse didn't appear. The paddles recharged with a piercing crackle.

A nurse quickly performed CPR on Hikaru. The shouts clouded Kaoru's mind. All he could see was his brother dying in front of his very own eyes. No, Hikaru would not die for someone as worthless as himself. He gritted his teeth just as they slammed the defibrillator against Hikaru's chest a second time.

Kaoru quickly yanked the tubes from his wrists, setting off his own heart monitor. The nurses looked up in bewilderment, resting their eyes on the younger Hitachiin twin. They went to restrain Kaoru but Kaoru was already pushing himself off the bed towards his older brother.

Kaoru tried to get his foothold but collapsed painfully against the shooting stinging up and down his right leg. He cried out angrily, cursing his leg. He reached out for Hikaru, fighting against the nurses' grip on his arms. "Hikaru," he said softly as he watched the doctors raise the defibrillator one final time. "HIKARU!"

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><p>Hikaru was standing by his own bed, watching in fascination. His body was convulsing against the electricity, but he felt none of it. In fact, he felt warm and content. He was at peace.<p>

His eyes traveled to his brother on the accompanying bed. "Hikaru," he called out as he stumbled to the floor with his face screwed up in pain.

Hikaru wanted to help his brother, he did, but he couldn't. He already knew that he was about to die. "Sorry, Kao," he whispered musically.

But Kaoru didn't hear him. "HIKARU!"

Hikaru flinched at the tortured tone in which his brother yelled. But he turned his eyes away. Nothing could be done. He looked into the light. It was bright and it overwhelmed him.

But just as he took the first step into the afterlife, a girl stepped in front of his path.

"It's not your time yet Hikaru," she said softly. Her voice resonated all around him.

Hikaru tilted his head. "But the light is right in front of me. Doesn't that mean I should leave?"

She smiled sweetly, gracing her features in bright light. Her golden hair hallowed her perfectly. "Are you giving up so easily, Hikaru?" she asked quizzically. "Don't you want to be there for your brother?"

Hikaru glanced anxiously back at Kaoru who was crying on the floor with nurses surrounding him. The time had slowed to a crawl just as the defibrillator was coming down upon Hikaru's body for the final time.

Hikaru turned back to her. "Of course I do."

"So it shall be done," she whispered. A painful burst of electricity burst through Hikaru.

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><p>The next time Hikaru woke, all was quiet. The heart monitor beeped steadily. But what Hikaru noticed first was the arms wrapped around his chest.<p>

Hikaru blinked slowly, struggling to wake. He breathed in a gulp of air and shifted uncomfortably. Looking down, he found Kaoru lying on the edge of his bed, sleeping softly.

"What the—" Hikaru began, trying to remember what happened.

"He wouldn't leave your side," a voice piped up quietly.

Hikaru's eyes shot up to the girl in the wheelchair. "Arisa, w-what are you doing here?"

"Watching over the two of you while your parents are getting coffee." A tear rolled down her cheek and she quickly pushed it away. "We really thought you were going to die," she whispered. "Kaoru woke up for the first time just as your heart was failing…" She glanced sadly at the sleeping boy. "He has been blaming himself for what happened ever since."

"What did happen?" Hikaru questioned immediately as he began to stroke his brother's hair.

"Your parents… well, your mom, she heard screams from outside. And she found the two of you beneath the tree house. She called 911 and well, here you are," she explained simply.

"The tree house," he repeated, suddenly realizing. His hand froze on Kaoru's head. "So Kaoru's okay? He's not hurt?"

She shook her head. "He has just a broken leg. He was more worried about you."

Hikaru stared down at his brother in silence. "Maybe… maybe I should talk to him now." He looked Arisa right in the eye so that she would get the idea.

"That sounds like a good idea," she said softly, straightening in her chair. She pushed her way swiftly to the door before pausing. "And Hikaru?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks." She smiled warmly. "I'm meeting my parents tomorrow." And she left the room without another word. The door closed slowly behind her.

Hikaru looked down at his brother. "Kao," he whispered. He nudged his twin gently. "Kao."

Suddenly, Kaoru shot up on the bed. "Hikaru?" he called, looking up at him. Hikaru watched Kaoru wince slightly and grasp at his leg. "Hikaru, you're awake!" He pulled Hikaru into a warm, unexpected hug, but Hikaru pulled his arms up and immediately hugged his younger brother.

Kaoru immediately started chattering; it was a habit of his when he was especially nervous or worried. "I remember everything Hikaru, our whole past. I am so embarrassed I forgot. Mom and Dad are happy about it. But I'm happier that you are okay and that Arisa is meeting her parents. Did you know the Host Club is having a welcome back party for us? The shadows haven't come back, Hikaru. But who cares about that because you are awake! I'm so relieved! Now I—"

"Kaoru," Hikaru interrupted with a smile as he clamped his hand over his younger brother's mouth. "Shouldn't you be in your own bed?"

Kaoru smiled weakly. "I was too worried." Hikaru could see the tears on the brim of Kaoru's eyes.

"Well, I'm fine now. Don't you worry." He smiled in reassurance.

Suddenly Kaoru was hugging Hikaru again. "Never do that to me ever again," Kaoru sobbed into his shoulder.

Hikaru looked and was surprised to find their parents standing in the doorway with their coffee, taking in the scene. Mom was holding a hand to her lips, crying silently. Dad was holding her with his head rested against her; a ghost of a smile rested on his lips.

Hikaru watered suddenly, abruptly realizing that… their family was finally going to be whole again. He held onto Kaoru tighter. "You did it me more, you idiot. You were the one about to jump off a tree house."

Kaoru laughed through his tears, wracking his body against Hikaru. Resuming stroking Kaoru's hair, Hikaru continued, "Everything will be alright now. Promise me you won't blame yourself for this."

Kaoru sat straight up with a frown, sniffing. "But it was my fault."

"No it wasn't," Hikaru said forcefully.

He glared into his brother's eyes until finally he said, "Okay."

Hikaru relaxed back into the pillows and strung an arm over his eyes. "Good. Now let's never fight again, okay Kao? I don't think it's worth the headache."

Kaoru chuckled softly. "Okay Hikaru."

Hikaru peaked through his fingers and promised himself… Kaoru would never be alone or scared again. He would be there for him, no matter what.

And simultaneously, Kaoru made his own promise. He would never let Hikaru take the fall for him again. Kaoru wanted to take care of Hikaru… in the same way he took care of Kaoru.

The smiled at each other; they would put the past behind them. All that mattered was that they were alive. And what else was there to do besides live?

THE END.

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><p><strong>So there you have it. Oh, man I'm going to cry. I really like this ending I made. But hey, if you were disappointed, stay tuned for the two alternate endings I have written for "Lost Without You." Please tell me your thoughts, both good and bad. :D But don't flame me until you read the other two endings. If you don't like any of the three, then I allow you to flame me. Okay?<strong>


	36. Alt ending 1

****ALTERNATE ENDING ONE****

**I think this alt. ending... may come as a shock. Please ignore if you do not like.**

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><p>Hikaru was lying there as stiff as a board. His mind swayed in and out of consciousness. Everything was a haze.<p>

He tried to move his legs… they were tingly but not numb. He stopped immediately from the pins pricking at his veins. Slowly, Hikaru groaned, shifting his head to the side. "Kaoru," he breathed.

There was no answer. It was quiet. Hikaru froze. What had happened?

His mind sifted through the earlier events. Kaoru, he had a nightmare, and… Hikaru's eyes flew open, staring around wildly for his younger twin brother. "Kaoru?" he called in fear.

Was Kaoru hurt? Even worse, was he dead? No, Hikaru wouldn't think like that.

Hikaru frowned, sitting up and looking down at his hands. His head pulsed as he tried to think through what exactly what happened. They were at the tree house… Kaoru almost jumped, Hikaru stopped them, and then…

But then Hikaru froze in his thoughts. He was staring at what he was sitting on. It was a couch. Shouldn't he be at the hospital if Kaoru had fallen? His hand flew to his head, and when he pulled it away, his hands were clean.

Hikaru looked up. The room held a set of chairs around a coffee table. Stairs spiraled up into an upper floor. The walls were painted a pale cream. Flowers were held in expensive vases. Hikaru stared around at it all in confusion. This was the Hitachiin family mansion. What had happened? Where was Kaoru!

Suddenly the door slammed, taking Hikaru by surprise in a startled jump. Hikaru flew to his feet in an instant and something fell off his lap with a thud. He found himself holding his cell phone in his hand; he looked from it to the item on the ground. The item was a book, lying haphazardly beneath the coffee table.

"Hikaru?" a soft, familiar voice called.

Hikaru spun quickly to the sound. His eyes caught a hold on the amber eyes which were tightened in worry. "Kaoru?" Hikaru uttered, feeling completely surreal.

"Hikaru are you alright?" Kaoru asked, leaning against the closed door, tilting his head.

"Kaoru, you're okay!" Hikaru cried happily. He raced forward and gathered his younger brother in a tight embrace. His heart thudded in his chest; somehow, both he and Kaoru had both survived the fall. It must be a miracle.

Kaoru pulled out of Hikaru's arms with a small smile on his face. "Hikaru, I've been gone for maybe twenty minutes. You couldn't have missed me that much, especially with the fight we just had."

"Fight?" Hikaru asked, suddenly confused.

Kaoru rolled his eyes. "Now you're playing dumb? Nice, Hikaru. How about we both say sorry and we'll be even. Okay?"

Hikaru frowned, confused even further.

Kaoru groaned. "You're not going to apologize, are you? Fine, I'll go first. Sorry, Hikaru, for getting on your nerves when I don't even know what I did wrong. There. Your turn."

"But, but, but," Hikaru sputtered, "you fell out the tree house. You could have died. Y-y-you didn't… You were…"  
>Kaoru placed a cool hand on Hikaru's forehead. "Are you okay? Did you have a nightmare or something?" Kaoru turned his hand so that the back of his hand was rested against Hikaru's skin. "I really don't you should go to Tamaki's game night tonight. You are really out of it."<p>

Hikaru stared at Kaoru's worried eyes. At first Hikaru didn't say anything as he tried to piece everything together but then he finally said, "Do you know an Arisa, Kaoru?"

Kaoru tilted his head and his bangs swished across his eyebrows. "What, do you mean the new girl that transferred into our class today?"

Hikaru gaped. Kaoru was staring at him like he was a crazy person. "Really, Hikaru, if you want to stay home—"

"Kaoru, show me your back."

Kaoru's eyes widened and he let go of Hikaru. "What the heck are you talking about? Why do you want to see my back?"

"Just do it, Kaoru!"

"Okay, okay," Kaoru said, throwing his hands out in defense. Slowly, Kaoru turned and pulled his shirt up his back, revealing… nothing. His skin was pale and smooth; it had no imperfect in sight. It was a complete mirror of Hikaru's own skin.

Kaoru pulled the shirt back down and turned. "Now what was that all about?"

Hikaru shook his head as his face suddenly broke out into a wide grin. "Nothing, Kaoru, nothing. I just had… the weirdest, scariest dream ever."

"So…" Kaoru said slowly. "Do you want to stay home then?"

"C'mere!" Hikaru cried suddenly, pulling Kaoru into another lengthy hug. Hikaru buried his head into Kaoru's shoulder. "I'm sorry," Hikaru whispered quietly. "I'm sorry about our stupid fight."

Kaoru froze underneath Hikaru's arms. "Hikaru?"

"We're never fighting again, got it? And you aren't walking outside by yourself ever again. And you aren't allowed on the tree house by yourself. Never talk to strangers and always keep your phone in your pocket," Hikaru murmured.

Kaoru pulled Hikaru away, looking Hikaru right in the eyes with worry. "Hikaru… are you really okay? Maybe you need some sleep."

Hikaru shook his head again, wiping at his watery eyes. "No, I'm just…" _glad you are okay, Kaoru, _he thought. He punched Kaoru lightly and playfully in the arm with a grin. "Come on, Kao. Let's go to that party."

He turned and walked to the front door and opened it. Hikaru turned when Kaoru didn't move. "Come on, you idiot!" He cried, waving Kaoru towards the chilly, winter night.

Kaoru laughed in exasperation. "Who are you calling idiot, idiot?" Kaoru slipped past him into the snow-filled yard.

Hikaru chuckled, feeling warmth spread across his chest. The relief was heavy. He would never EVER let anything like that ever happen to Kaoru. Never.

And Hikaru closed the door to follow his brother.

* * *

><p>Kaoru woke abruptly in the night, breathing heavily. He clutched as his chest. The dream he just had… Wait, was it a dream?<p>

He turned his head, glancing at his brother's bed. Hikaru was sleeping, breathing softly. The glow sticks from Tamaki's party were still dimly glimmering in the darkness.

Kaoru breathed slowly calming himself. It was all just a dream, just a dream. He closed his eyes, warding away the frightening visions. Maybe his next dream would be a happy one.

THE END.

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><p><strong>STAY TUNED for Alternate ending Two. <strong>


	37. Alt ending 2

****ALTERNATE ENDING TWO****

**A few days later**

The funeral was soft and quiet. It did not rain, did not snow, it was not cloudy; heck, the sun was out, sending warm rays across the glittering snow. It was as if Hikaru was telling Kaoru to be happy, to move on, and to live life.

But all Kaoru could do was stare blankly at the coffin that was being prepared to be lowered into the cold, hardened ground. That was Kaoru's brother in there. All Kaoru could think about was that he should be in that coffin instead… or at least they should be together.

Kaoru held back his sobs, his tears, as he leaned heavily onto his crutches. His eyes grazed across all of the people there; they were relatives, family friends, the Host Club. They had all tried to comfort him, make him feel better about Hikaru's death… but what could they possibly do to actually make this all feel alright? There was nothing.

The sad music played as the coffin began to descend. Kaoru's eyes settled on the roses on the top of the coffin. Hikaru had always said that roses were a cliché, so the lone white tulip was Kaoru's gift to his brother. Kaoru's limbs shook and he forced himself to look away from the white flower.

The coffin rolled in slowly and suddenly, Kaoru was sunk with the feeling of loss. He would never see Hikaru's smile again or hear his comforting words. Kaoru gasped roughly, clutching at his chest.

His eyes tore away from the coffin and they caught Arisa's immediately. Her face was tilted in concern and sorrow. Her hands were clasped in her newly-found parents' strong grip and she was sitting in her wheelchair near her younger brother. She mouthed the words, 'are you okay?'

Kaoru shook his head and turned away. No, he would never be okay; not without Hikaru.

So he limped away quickly, careful not to place his crutches anywhere that could slip. He headed to the church. Kaoru pulled himself up the steep steps and into the hallowed ground. It only made him feel worse.

He went to the bathroom instead of to the pews. Kaoru locked himself into a stall and pulled out a bottle. It was his prescribed pain killers. How many does one take before they die?

Kaoru opened the bottle and hesitated. If he killed himself… would he still go to heaven?

He reached into the bottle anyway to grab a few when suddenly the bottle was ripped from his grasp, tumbling onto the ground in an explosion of white pills. The sharp noise echoed off the empty walls.

Kaoru froze, letting a tear slide down his frozen cheek. No one was here to take the bottle from his hand and the stall door was locked, so it could only mean…

"Hikaru?"

The door unlocked itself and slowly rolled open. Kaoru stared with wide eyes, completely in disbelief. "Hikaru, you're here, aren't you?"

Kaoru got didn't hear a thing, but yet he knew the answer enough. He let the tears fall freely now. "I'll live Hikaru," Kaoru said slowly, letting the promise hang in the air. He sobbed harder, "I'll live for you and do all of the things you dreamed of doing. I'll do it for you."

Kaoru gathered himself slowly, grasping his crutches. A small breeze caressed through the young Hitachiin's hair. It comforted him.

He wiped away the heavy tears in his eyes on his sleeves. It would be sad, it would be torturous, but Kaoru wouldn't let Hikaru's sacrifice be made in vain.

THE END.

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><p><strong>And there you have it. Those are the three endings I had but couldn't choose between. I hope at least one satisfied you. Thank you for everyone who supported me in this fiction. And I hope you continue to support me! THANK YOU FOR READING! Love, Miss Light Bright.<strong>


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